Honda Jazz sets new world fuel economy record of 95mpg

The world record for fuel economy in a petrol car has been broken by a team of drivers in a Honda Jazz. The voyage took the supermini from Lands End to John O'Groats on a single tank of fuel, averaging 95mpg and smashing the previous world record of 71mpg.

The 844-mile journey took a marathon 26 hours, with the Jazz achieving an average speed of 40mph. The car was driven by BBC South transport correspondent Paul Clifton and researcher Fergal McGrath, while support was provided by an AA patrol vehicle which also served to adjudicate the record attempt.

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Debbie Reeve Crook, group marking manager at Fish Brothers Honda (which supplied the car), said: "Their effort took a lot of determination and highlights the fantastic efficiency of the Jazz.

"They had a few precarious moments along the way, particularly when the car warned that there was no fuel left with 60 miles remaining, but the brave little Jazz carried on. As the end got closer, it must have been running on fresh air and adrenaline!"

Clifton explained why the team undertook the trip. ""The objective was to demonstrate that while diesel is being demonised by the government, leading to a fall in sales of new diesel cars, it is possible to show that a mid-size petrol engine, with its lower emissions, can be a match for more efficient diesel.

"The challenge was no easy task and it's a huge accomplishment to achieve the new world record, with thanks to Fish Brothers Honda for supplying the car and John and Tony from the AA for their endless enthusiasm which helped push us to the finish."

The Honda Jazz features a 1.3-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine, which officially returns a fuel economy figure of 56.5mpg when mated to a manual gearbox. The team improved on this figure by an incredible 68 per cent.

This is not the first time a Honda has beaten fuel economy records. In 2016, a diesel Honda Civic Tourer beat the Guinness World Record for fuel economy, with a figure of over 100mpg achieved over 8,387 miles.

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