Petrol. It’s not exactly cheap, is it? In fact, South Africans looking to buy new cars are placing more and more weight on fuel efficiency thanks to the price of petrol and diesel.
So, which cars are the least efficient on the local new vehicle market? We searched through the stats to identify the five worst offenders. And, as you’d expect, the majority of them are serious performance machines (all except one, it turns out).
Indeed, that means they cost serious money. In fact, whip out your calculator and punch in the prices and you’ll find that the combined worth of these five gas-guzzlers nudges R25-million…
Also, bear in mind that the average fuel economy figures listed below are as claimed by the manufacturers, and will in all likelihood be far worse in the real world…
1. Nissan Patrol 4.8 GRX: 17,7 L/100km
The vehicle with the worst average fuel consumption is also the cheapest on this list and makes the least power. In fact, the seven-seater, all-wheel drive Nissan Patrol – which features a 4,8-litre inline six-cylinder petrol engine worth 190 kW and 420 N.m – is the only vehicle here to come in under R1-million. Which is handy, since you’ll probably need the extra cash to buy fuel.
2. Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4: 16,0 L/100km
The Aventador LP700-4 features a naturally aspirated 6,5-litre V12 delivering 515 kW and 690 N.m. Of course, with great power comes an impressive sprint time (2,9 seconds, to be exact). And massive fuel bills. Whopping great fuel bills that will make you the darling of your local petrol station owner. Take note, too, that this claimed consumption figures applies both to the coupe and the roadster.
3. Maserati GranTurismo Sport Cambiocorsa: 15,5 L/100km
The Maserati GranTurismo Sport Cambiocorsa employs the smallest engine on this list – a 4,7-litre V8 kicking out 338 kW and 520 N.m, and linked to a six-speed automatic transmission – but it’s still excessively thirsty. And it provides enough oomph to blast the coupe from standstill to three figures in around 4,7 seconds.
4. Ferrari FF: 15,4 L/100km
The Ferrari FF is due to be replaced by the awkwardly named GTC4Lusso in the near future, but until then, the FF remains the fourth least fuel-efficient vehicle on sale in South Africa. The naturally aspirated 6,3-litre V12 makes 485 kW and 683 N.m, and propels the four-seater from zero to 100 km/h in 3,7 seconds. Which is quick enough for you and your no doubt equally well-heeled passengers to forget about pesky petrol bills.
5. Ferrari F12berlinetta: 15,0 L/100km
Fitted with the same 6,3-litre V12 as the FF above (although with somewhat higher outputs of 545 kW and 690 N.m), the F12berlinetta is actually a little more efficient than its sibling, thanks mostly to its reduced mass and lack of an all-wheel drive system. But it’s still not exactly frugal, slurping its way through a claimed 15,0 L/100km. Still, the 3,1-second sprint to 100 km/h more than makes up for that…
