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Start and driving
Think ahead and “flow” with the traffic
Fr
equent accel
er
ation and braking consider-
ably increase fuel consumption. If you think
ahead as you drive and keep a safe distance
from the vehicle in front, it is possible to slow
down by simply lifting your foot off the accel-
erator. This eliminates the need for constant
braking and acceleration.
Calm and steady driving
A constant driving style is more important
than speed: a constant driving style will entail
lower fuel consumption.
When driving on the motorway, it is more effi-
cient to drive at a constant and more moder-
ate speed than to be continuously accelerat-
ing and braking. As a general rule, you will
reach your destination just as quickly when
you drive at a constant speed.
The cruise control function helps you to ach-
ieve a constant style of driving.
Moderate use of additional devices
It is important to travel in comfort, but con-
venience systems should be used ecological-
ly.
Some equipment, when connected, increase
fuel consumption considerably, for example:
●
Air conditioning cooling system: If the air
conditioning system is required to cool to sig-
nificantly lower temperatures than the true
outside temperature, it will require a large
amount of energy from the engine. Therefore,
we recommend that the selected tempera-
ture for the vehicle is not too different to the
outside temperature. It is a good idea to air
the vehicle before starting your journey and
to drive a short distance with all the windows
open. Only then should you close all the win-
dows and switch on the air conditioning. Keep
windows closed when travelling at high
speeds. Driving with the windows open in-
creases fuel consumption.
●
Switch off the seat heating when the seats
have warmed up.
●
Switch off the heated rear window and the
windscreen heating when the windows have
demisted and are free of ice.
●
Do not leave the auxiliary heater switched
on when the vehicle is moving
›››
page 184.
Avoid short journeys
Fuel consumption is much higher when the
engine is cold, immediately after it has been
started. It takes a few kilometres of driving for
the engine to warm up and to normalise con-
sumption.
The engine and catalytic converter need to
reach their proper working temperature in
order to minimise fuel consumption and emis-
sions. The ambient temperature has a deci-
sive influence.
Therefore, unnecessary short journeys should
be avoided. Try to combine trips.
The vehicle uses more fuel in winter than in
summer, even when other conditions are the
same.
The engine takes a long time to warm up
when it is idling. Mechanical wear and pollu-
tant emissions are also especially high during
this initial warm-up phase. It is therefore best
to drive off immediately after starting the en-
gine. Avoid running the engine at high speed.
Adjusting type pressures.
Having the correct pressure in your tyres
helps to reduce rolling resistance and, as a
result reduces fuel consumption. Increasing
the tyre pressure slightly (+0.2 bar
[2.9 psi/20 kPa]) can help to save fuel.
If you are prepared to accept a slight reduc-
tion in comfort, the tyres may be filled to the
pressures recommended for a fully-loaded
vehicle. This is also valid when driving alone
without luggage.
When you buy new tyres, make sure they are
optimised for minimum rolling resistance.
Avoid carrying unnecessary loads
The lighter the vehicle, the more economical
and ecological the driving style. For example,
an additional weight of 100 kg will increase
fuel consumption up to 0.3 l/100 km.
»
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