Peugeot and Citroen to get real with fuel economy

PSA/Peugeot-Citroen has announced it will publish more accurate, ‘real-world’ figures for fuel consumption for all its vehicles in the wake of the VW Dieselgate scandal.

In a statement, released late last night, PSA stressed that it had never fitted any of its vehicles with software designed to cheat emissions tests, but hopes issuing of more realistic, independent fuel figures for Peugeot, Citroen and DS vehicles would help consumers make a more informed choice.

In Europe, 67 per cent of all the vehicles sold by PSA last year were powered by diesel engines.

The decision to publish real-world figures pre-empts the European Union that has already announced that it is considering introducing real-world testing in 2017.

In its native France PSA is already struggling against a tide of a hostile, anti-diesel movement that is expected to influence policymakers to rule against the fuel.

Diesel had been encouraged throughout Europe since it produces less CO2 than burning petrol but it also produces higher levels of NOx - a harmful pollutant.

In the press statement PSA attempted to reinforce its position as a leader in ‘clean diesel’ technology, claiming that Peugeot and Citroen models were equipped with soot filters 11 years before the EU mandated them. All its current Euro 6 vehicles, meanwhile, are equipped with Selective Catalytic Reduction - a system, PSA claims, is the most effective way of reducing NOx.