As a fuel innovator, industry leader
Petron Corporation is continuously looking for ways to provide Filipino motorists with the best possible products in the market. Having achieved recognition as the best gasoline in the country for its
Petron Blaze 100 Euro 6, the company's R&D team recently enhanced the formulation of its premium
Petron Turbo Diesel to be the
best diesel in the Philippines. Thus, last January, the
Petron TriAction Performance Run – Diesel Edition took off from Manila to Baguio for a week-long series of tests on challenging mountain roads from Baguio to Ambuklao, and then from Baguio to Halsema, the highest elevation in the Philippine highway system, before finishing with a fuel economy run from Baguio back to Manila.
Outstanding Performance Across Vehicle Types
Faced with the challenge of measuring improvements in engine power, engine response, and acceleration, test drivers were asked to rate the performance of
different diesel fuels in a stringent
double blind procedure. Using a different diesel fuel each day for four days, the drivers drove the same winding, uphill-downhill route from Baguio City to Ambuklao Dam and back. All these while keenly observing whether there was an immediate engine response when going uphill after slowing down on a sharp curve, or if the engine does not feel strained when carrying a full load, or if the vehicle is able to accelerate smoothly even on long uphill climbs.
To ensure that Petron Turbo Diesel is able to deliver optimum performance across vehicle types, different vehicle categories and brands were included in the field test. The test vehicles consisted of a
BMW X1, a European luxury subcompact crossover; a
Toyota Innova, the market leading utility vehicle; a
Honda CR-V Diesel, the 2017 Car of the Year-Philippines; a
Nissan Urvan, a popular people-mover; a
Ford Everest and
Ford Ranger to represent the American brand;
Isuzu MU-X and
Isuzu D-Max for the leader in commercial vehicles; and a
Ssangyong Tivoli XLV, a Korean SUV model.
When asked to rank the test fuels--designated only by letter codes--in the daily runs, the consolidated results indicated that Petron Turbo Diesel was rated by the drivers as delivering the
best performance in terms of
power,
engine response, and
acceleration.
Improved Fuel Economy
Following the test protocol of the Department of Energy (DOE) Fuel Economy Run, the vehicles traversed some
230.7-kilometers from the Petron station on Kisad Road, Baguio City, going through the relatively busy Marcos Highway, then on to the Tarlac-Pangasian-La Union Expressway (TPLEX), the Subic-Clark- Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX), the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX), ending at Petron NLEX Southbound in Bocaue, Bulacan.
All vehicles delivered outstanding results, averaging
20 percent better than the official
Fuel Efficiency Ratings (FER) posted in the
2017 DOE Fuel Economy Run. For example, the
BMW X1 achieved
34.08km/l, which is 43 percent better than the 23.88km/l recorded in the DOE Run. The
Honda CR-V's fuel consumption improved by 19 percent to
28.52km/l from 23.96km/l. The fuel efficiency results were similarly impressive for the other vehicles, as follows:
Ford Everest –
27.21km/l;
Toyota Innova –
23.4km/l;
Ssangyong Tivoli XLV –
22.6km/l;
Isuzu MU-X –
19.97km/l;
Isuzu D-Max –
18.44km/l;
Nissan Urvan –
17.22km/l; and
Ford Ranger –
17.08km/l.
The Petron TriAction Performance Run – Diesel Edition was observed and certified by representatives from
Department of Energy (DOE),
Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), and the
Car Awards Group, Inc. (CAGI).
