Australian motorists may be spending more at the pump than expected, with new data showing that most of the latest cars on the market are failing to deliver on their advertised fuel efficiency.
Independent testing by the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) found that 25 out of 30 recently tested vehicles consumed more fuel on the road than claimed by their manufacturers, in some cases by a significant margin.
Hybrid Vehicles Lead the Fuel Gap
The most notable offender was the Hyundai Kona Hybrid, which used 33 per cent more fuel in real-world testing than its official lab figures suggested. Other models with large discrepancies included the Kia Stonic (26 per cent over), Hyundai i30 Hybrid (17 per cent), Toyota Fortuner (16 per cent), and Kia Sportage Hybrid (14 per cent).
Since the AAA’s Real-World Testing Program began in August 2023, it has tested 114 popular vehicles and found that 77 per cent of them used more fuel than advertised.
“Carmakers continue to optimise their vehicles’ performance for lab testing,” said AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley.
“It means new cars are too often overstating their improvements in fuel use and environmental performance.”
Real Tests vs. Lab Results
While car manufacturers are required to perform laboratory testing to meet Australian regulatory standards, the AAA’s Real-World Testing Program aims to give buyers a clearer picture of how cars perform on actual roads. The testing, conducted in and around Geelong, Victoria, follows strict protocols to eliminate variables like driver behaviour or traffic patterns.
The discrepancy isn’t just limited to fuel use. Six out of the 30 vehicles tested in this round exceeded legal limits for noxious emissions, even though they passed lab-based emissions checks.
New Focus on Electric Vehicle Range
In a bid to address growing consumer concerns around EV performance, the AAA will release its first set of results for electric vehicles next month. This will include how far they can actually travel on a single charge.
“Range anxiety continues to be a significant barrier to EV uptake,” said Mr Bradley.
“We hope these independent results will give Australian car-buyers far greater confidence.”
Call for Transparency and Accountability
The AAA launched the program in response to the 2015 Volkswagen emissions scandal. That incident revealed how lab testing could be manipulated. With Australia’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard now in effect as of 1 July, pressure is growing. Carmakers are being urged to provide accurate, transparent data to both regulators and the public.
The Real-World Testing Program is funded by the federal government with bipartisan support. It aims to eventually cover up to 200 of Australia’s most popular models. It aims to reward carmakers that deliver genuine environmental and financial savings and hold those that don’t to account.
RWT Program results can be found here.
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