There was one time when former United States President Barack Obama had an agreement with 13 automakers to increase fuel economy for all cars and light-duty trucks to 54.5 miles per gallon--or 23.17 km/l.
Barring jeepneys aside, we think this number is quite doable--even in our country today. In fact, we already have cars with figures that are higher than that. The highest fuel efficiency rating in the Department of Energy's (DOE) first-ever Euro 4 Fuel Economy Run last year is near the 40-km/l mark already--around 38.5 km/l to be exact.
Still, it's nowhere near Obama's goal for almost all vehicles in the U.S to reach 23.17 km/l. But then again, they still have eight more years to achieve this--and perhaps even for the Philippines as well.
For now, we'll just give you the cars that offer the best fuel efficiency ratings in the country today. And from here on forward, we'll keep our fingers crossed.
The Suzuki Celerio bagged first place in the gasoline engine category at DOE's first-ever Euro 4 Fuel Economy Run last year, PLUS first in the hatchback category.
Spacious and highly affordable, the Celerio won't dazzle you with a heart-stopping engine; nor will it dazzle your eyes with its spectacular design. However, what it will give you is ample comfort and performance once it gets its acceleration going. And of course, its fuel efficiency rate is phenomenal.
The Celerio's price is just mind-boggling, considering you get good features like side-impact protection, anti-brake system, and many others at just half a million pesos. Still, if you want more, just throw in around P50,000 and you get a lot of goodies that you can only get with high-end cars in the market today.
The Isuzu D-Max tops the number one list when it comes to the most fuel-efficient diesel category in the DOE's list. What's more, it also ranks first in the pickup category.
The D-Max oozes a rugged appeal that makes it handsome in a down-to-earth kind of way. This car isn't meant to tread hard on concrete all the time--you need to get out there, feel the air, touch the soil, and get rough with nature to appreciate its qualities.
Of course, there's the subject of fuel efficiency. This car's large 3.0-liter engine helps lessen the stress when you drive it on highways. Its engine also combines low-friction bearings and common rail direct injection that effectively uses fuel during the combustion process. What's more, its VGS turbocharger also lessens the vehicle's need to use up more fuel.
The Hyundai Accent ranks the highest in its class when it comes the DOE's fuel economy run. It's quite impressive, considering its manual transmission actually fares much better than the automatic when it comes to fuel efficiency.
It's because the automatic uses the ActiveEco button that does early upshifts to improve gas consumption, while the manual uses an eco shift light to indicate that it can do an upshift to save up on gas consumption. Whatever the case, they do well in saving up on fuel, considering the roomy and quiet interior it offers as well.
The Toyota Innova sits on top of its class when it comes to the DOE's fuel efficiency test result. No wonder it remains a consistent bestseller in Carmudi for a long time already.
The secret lies in its versatility. This car showcases a modern minivan appearance, with the spaciousness of an SUV and the toughness of a hefty pick-up truck. And while it isn't really suitable for going off-road, its 176 mm ground clearance makes it a great vehicle to use even during floods.
Innova continues to improve in fuel efficiency, with its latest upgrade offering better power-to-weight ratio and added forward gears. This means greater highway fuel consumption figures--and more savings in the long run.
The Hyundai Tucson is the highest SUV to rank in DOE's fuel economy run, making it one of the best gas-saving SUVs in the market today.
Now with a complete redesign and a few interior and technology updates, the Hyundai Tucson's gorgeously handsome exterior and comfortable interior now sits on a tougher chassis with high-strength steel. This gives it better reinforcements for a more secure and safer drive than ever.
And while it may not provide anything extraordinary or boast of cutting edge features, this vehicle's turbocharged engine not only provides great acceleration, but also good fuel efficiency that will stretch your peso fuel savings to their very limit.
This minivan has the highest ranking in terms of fuel efficiency in its class, and has beaten other well-known brands like the Toyota HiAce and Nissan Urvan.
Practical and comfortable to the max, the Kia Carnival may need a bit of help in the style department, but it definitely compensates when it comes to its long list of safety features and other comfortable amenities that put other vans (and even some SUVs) to shame.
The Carnival not only sips fuel on the side, but also offers easy functionality (such as its configurable seats), and a smoother performance on the road. Handling may need a bit of push every now and then, but still, it's more than enough to cater to a lot of people who like to move about.
Updated by Wilbert Tan on August 29, 2020
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