New data has revealed which new cars are the most efficient on the market and how much they differ from their official estimates.
The Toyota Yaris Cross 1.5 Hybrid has been ranked as the most efficient new car with a What Car? Real Miles Per Gallon (MPG) rating of 60.1.
Its official website estimates that it has a fuel economy rating of between 54.3 and 64.1 miles per gallon, in addition to a maximum of 117g/km of CO2 emissions output.
The Yaris Cross is on the market with a starting price of £25,530, with Toyota describing it as a "stylishly compact SUV".
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A number of new car models were found to have higher fuel efficiency levels than official tests
PA
It narrowly beat out its sister model - the Toyota Yaris 1.5 Hybrid 116 - with a Real MPG ranking of 59.93.
While this is still a staggering rating, it is a nearly 13 per cent drop compared to its official MPG of 68.8.
Among the 10 best-performing models, there was an average shortfall of 4.4 per cent between Real MPG figures and the official Worldwide Harmonised Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) which they are obligated to publish.
The average miles per gallon figure for the most efficient new cars on the market is 54.4mph, compared to the average for the least efficient models at 28.3 MPG.
The Toyota Yaris Cross 1.5 Hybrid
TOYOTA
Toyota makes up three of the top 10, giving the Japanese brand recognition for its impressive efficiency and quality automotive development.
Owners of the Citroen C3 1.2 Puretech 83 will benefit from the largest boost in fuel economy. The official WLTP rating is 42.7 MPG, whereas the What Car? tests found a 19.2 per cent increase to 50.9 MPG.
Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: "Our Real MPG tests give new car buyers an accurate indication of the likely efficiency of currently available models.
"While many factors come into play when choosing a new car, efficiency is undoubtedly one of the most important considerations for motorists given the high price of fuel."
Cars ranked by What Car? Real MPG values
- Toyota Yaris Cross 1.5 Hybrid - 60.1 MPG
- Toyota Yaris 1.5 Hybrid 116 - 59.93 MPG
- Suzuki Ignis 1.2 Dualjet Hybrid - 59.9 MPG
- Seat Ibiza 1.0 TSI 95 - 54 MPG
- Toyota Aygo X 1.0 - 52.24 MPG
- Mazda 2 1.5 e-Skyactiv-G 115 - 51.9 MPG
- Audi A4 35 TDI - 52.19 MPG
- Kia Picanto 1.0 DPi ISG - 51.7 MPG
- Honda Jazz 1.5 i-MMD Hybrid - 51.6 MPG
- Citroen C3 1.2 Puretech 83 - 50.9 MPG
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The Citroen C3 1.2 Puretech 83
CITROEN
The research also found that the Audi S8 has the worst What Car? Real MPG rating of 21.7 - an 11.78 per cent difference compared to its official MPG of 24.6