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PRETORIA – South Africans are at their wits' end and turning to public transport as petrol prices rocketed by 84c in July 2013. Wheels24 reported that prices went up to R13.23/litre in Gauteng and R12.86/litre at the coast on July 3 while both grades of diesel increased by 78.20c/litre.
TOP FUEL-SAVING TIPS
Are you driving as if there’s a sleeping kitten under your accelerator? Fuel prices making you obsessively stare at your fuel gauge? From ensuring you have the correct tyre pressure to not “driving angry,” there are many ways you can reduce your fuel consumption.
Ford has ten great fuel-saving tips:
1 Get your kit off - The kit on the roof that is. Do you only surf on weekends? If that's the case, removing roof racks during the week will ensure better aerodynamics.
2 Correct tyre pressure – Ensuring you have the correct tyre pressure can have a massive impact on fuel consumption as well as handling. Low tyre pressure can cause blowouts.
3 Trim the ‘fat’ - Weight can be another factor in increased fuel consumption as well as affecting your vehicle’s handling. Unload unnecessary items from your car. Another weight-saving option is to fill your fuel tank to 60 – 70% capacity.
4 Don’t rubberneck - We are all tempted to slow down and have a look at an accident on the side of the road but doing so causes others following to slow down for no reason. All those vehicles then have to accelerate to get going, wasting fuel in the process.
DON'T DRIVE ANGRY
5 Anticipate the road ahead - Always focus behind the wheel and assess what will happen on the road ahead. By anticipating the road ahead, you will minimise reactionary braking or aggressive acceleration.
6 Don’t drive angry – This is easier said than done, especially in traffic but angry driving burns more fuel. Burning out at traffic lights or weaving between lanes results in unnecessary acceleration and fuel use.
7 Take a cruise - Using cruise control on the road will ensure you maintain a constant speed which will save fuel.
8 Are you in tune – A vehicle service is a task few look forward to but while you may be saving money in servicing costs, you’ll end up paying in the long run with poor fuel consumption. If you wait too long to have your vehicle serviced your may end up having to fork over thousands to your mechanic.
FORD ECOBOOST ENGINE
9 Plan your journey - A wrong turn could lead to extra kilometers added to your journey resulting in burning more fuel. Rushing out to the shops three or four times over a weekend also impacts your pocket. Draw up a shopping list and ensure you complete all your errands in one trip. A carefully planned journey can save you money.
10 Your car doesn’t need to be boring - The new Ford Fiesta ST with EcoBoost is the automaker’s fastest production Fiesta ST yet. At the same time, it’s also the most fuel-efficient with a combined cycle figure of 5.9 litres/100km. Ford SA's marketing manager Gavin Golightly said: “Ford’s EcoBoost technology provides the power that makes driving exciting while still ensuring optimal fuel efficiency.
“The Fiesta ST is a great example. It offers the perfect choice for the fuel conscious driving enthusiast, offering the hottest hatch performance and every day driving practicality. The EcoBoost technology also means you don’t have to drive with a heavy foot to keep the revs up and achieve performance across our line-up of vehicles.”
And that's their punt for giving Wheels24 the fuel-saving tips...
Ford’s EcoBoost engine is available in the following models:
Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost (92kW, 170Nm) – 5.7 litres/100km
Fiesta ST 1.6 EcoBoost (134kW, 240Nm) – 5.9 litres/100km
Focus ST 2.0 EcoBoost (184 kW, 360Nm) – 7.2 litres/100km
Kuga 1.6 EcoBoost, 110kW/134 kW, 240Nm –6.6 /7.7 litres/100km
EcoSport 1.0 (arriving this August): 92kW, 170Nm – 5.7 litres/100km
NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM IN SA
Despite the fuel price hike in July 2013 South Africa still has it easy compared to the rest of the world. Kind of...
According to stats on global fuel prices, South Africa is actually ranked 40th in the table of fuel prices. You’ll be crying your eyes out if you live in Europe as fuel prices are almost R30/litre.
TOP FUEL-SAVING TIPS
Are you driving as if there’s a sleeping kitten under your accelerator? Fuel prices making you obsessively stare at your fuel gauge? From ensuring you have the correct tyre pressure to not “driving angry,” there are many ways you can reduce your fuel consumption.
Ford has ten great fuel-saving tips:
1 Get your kit off - The kit on the roof that is. Do you only surf on weekends? If that's the case, removing roof racks during the week will ensure better aerodynamics.
2 Correct tyre pressure – Ensuring you have the correct tyre pressure can have a massive impact on fuel consumption as well as handling. Low tyre pressure can cause blowouts.
3 Trim the ‘fat’ - Weight can be another factor in increased fuel consumption as well as affecting your vehicle’s handling. Unload unnecessary items from your car. Another weight-saving option is to fill your fuel tank to 60 – 70% capacity.
4 Don’t rubberneck - We are all tempted to slow down and have a look at an accident on the side of the road but doing so causes others following to slow down for no reason. All those vehicles then have to accelerate to get going, wasting fuel in the process.
DON'T DRIVE ANGRY
5 Anticipate the road ahead - Always focus behind the wheel and assess what will happen on the road ahead. By anticipating the road ahead, you will minimise reactionary braking or aggressive acceleration.
6 Don’t drive angry – This is easier said than done, especially in traffic but angry driving burns more fuel. Burning out at traffic lights or weaving between lanes results in unnecessary acceleration and fuel use.
7 Take a cruise - Using cruise control on the road will ensure you maintain a constant speed which will save fuel.
8 Are you in tune – A vehicle service is a task few look forward to but while you may be saving money in servicing costs, you’ll end up paying in the long run with poor fuel consumption. If you wait too long to have your vehicle serviced your may end up having to fork over thousands to your mechanic.
FORD ECOBOOST ENGINE
9 Plan your journey - A wrong turn could lead to extra kilometers added to your journey resulting in burning more fuel. Rushing out to the shops three or four times over a weekend also impacts your pocket. Draw up a shopping list and ensure you complete all your errands in one trip. A carefully planned journey can save you money.
10 Your car doesn’t need to be boring - The new Ford Fiesta ST with EcoBoost is the automaker’s fastest production Fiesta ST yet. At the same time, it’s also the most fuel-efficient with a combined cycle figure of 5.9 litres/100km. Ford SA's marketing manager Gavin Golightly said: “Ford’s EcoBoost technology provides the power that makes driving exciting while still ensuring optimal fuel efficiency.
“The Fiesta ST is a great example. It offers the perfect choice for the fuel conscious driving enthusiast, offering the hottest hatch performance and every day driving practicality. The EcoBoost technology also means you don’t have to drive with a heavy foot to keep the revs up and achieve performance across our line-up of vehicles.”
And that's their punt for giving Wheels24 the fuel-saving tips...
Ford’s EcoBoost engine is available in the following models:
Fiesta 1.0 EcoBoost (92kW, 170Nm) – 5.7 litres/100km
Fiesta ST 1.6 EcoBoost (134kW, 240Nm) – 5.9 litres/100km
Focus ST 2.0 EcoBoost (184 kW, 360Nm) – 7.2 litres/100km
Kuga 1.6 EcoBoost, 110kW/134 kW, 240Nm –6.6 /7.7 litres/100km
EcoSport 1.0 (arriving this August): 92kW, 170Nm – 5.7 litres/100km
NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM IN SA
Despite the fuel price hike in July 2013 South Africa still has it easy compared to the rest of the world. Kind of...
According to stats on global fuel prices, South Africa is actually ranked 40th in the table of fuel prices. You’ll be crying your eyes out if you live in Europe as fuel prices are almost R30/litre.
