Toyota iQ: real-world tests outdo official fuel consumption figures

Toyota's iQ, last year's Japanese COTY, has asserted its green credentials with a spectacular -- in a low-key kind of way -- demonstration of its ability to turn fuel into distance.

In a recent UK 'hypermiling' challenge, the tiny four-seater -- at 3m, it's not much bigger than a smart fortwo -- broke 800km on a single 32-litre tank of petrol. That's notably better, even, than Toyota's official fuel consumption figures.

That might be remarkable if it entailed a 40kg spokesmodel at the wheel in tests sequestered away in carefully controlled conditions on a flat loop circuit in lovely weather.

But it didn't. It was done by two members of the British iQ blog team in a standard iQ with a standard issue 1.0-litre three-pot petrol engine, traversing often congested CBDs in the south and midlands of England and Wales.

Starting in Brighton, the two day trip took in 18 cities, as far north as Wolverhampton and as far west as Cardiff.

Traffic conditions were thoroughly European, the weather thoroughly British with driving wind and rain seeing plenty of heating, headlight and wiper use. Yet, to everyone's surprise, the car had made 504.2 miles -- 811.4km -- by the time it ran out in Oxford.

That boils down to 3.94L/100km, well up on the official combined cycle figure of 4.29L/100km.

All while returning around 100g/km of CO2.