BYD Sealion 7, GWM Haval Jolion among cars found to be less efficient in latest real-world testing

Results have been released for 17 more electric, petrol, and diesel vehicles – from the BYD Sealion 7 to the Toyota LandCruiser – put through their paces in government-funded real-world efficiency testing to see how they match up to advertised figures.

The Haval Jolion Hybrid used 6.5 litres of fuel per hundred kilometres, more than the 5.1 litres reported in GWM's lab testing, while the Audi Q5 and GWM Haval H6 Hybrid were both 19 per cent less efficient than claimed.

Other petrol and hybrid vehicles tested that used notably more fuel than claimed were the Kia K4 (15 per cent), Honda ZR-V (10 per cent), MG QS (9 per cent), and Mazda CX-60 (5 per cent).

The Real-World Testing Program tested an Audi Q5 TFSI 150kW with a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine.

The Kia Sorento Hybrid only varied by two per cent from its claimed efficiency, while the Chery Tiggo 8 Pro Max and Subaru Forester AWD were actually more efficient than claimed, using 2 per cent and 1 per cent less fuel, respectively, in the real-world tests.

Of the four electric vehicles tested, the BYD Dolphin's real-world range was the most reduced, at 24 per cent lower than quoted. This reduced the Dolphins' real-world range by 97km compared to lab testing, from 410km to 313km.

However, as reported by Drive, the AAA has used the driving range claim tested under lenient NEDC protocols, as on the windscreen sticker, rather than the more realistic WLTP rating, which is more commonly promoted by the manufacturer.

Compared to the Dolphin's 345km WLTP range rating, the real-world result is only 9 per cent lower than quoted.

BYD Dolphin Essential.

BYD's Sealion 7 SUV also recorded a significant variance between lab results and real-world testing, with the AAA testing finding its range was 17 per cent lower than its NEDC claim, or 3 per cent lower than WLTP.

The real-world range of the MG S5 and Kia EV5 was respectively 6 per cent and 3 per cent lower than lab results.

All three diesel vehicles tested used more fuel than quoted by manufacturers: the Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series (4 per cent higher), Ford Tourneo (5 per cent higher), and MG U9 (9 per cent higher).

Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series.

AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley said in a media statement that the current fuel crisis has placed importance on the accuracy of a car's claimed consumption.

“Now more than ever, it’s critical that Australian consumers know exactly how much fuel a car will actually use, how much they will cost to run, or how far they will go on a single charge," Bradley said.

“The current fuel crisis has heightened awareness that carmakers are highly incentivised to build cars that perform very well in the laboratory test used to regulate vehicle emissions, but that most of these same cars perform very differently when driven in the real-world.

“Australian car buyers are right to be deeply sceptical of the fuel consumption information carmakers are providing, and this Program is playing a critical role in helping Australian businesses and families save money.”

The AAA regularly tests new vehicles and publishes the results. You can view real-world efficiency for previously tested vehicles on its website here.

The AAA's testing uses a 90km-long circuit near Geelong, Victoria, which encompasses both inner-city and freeway driving.

Max is the News Publishing Coordinator for Drive. He enjoys creating engaging digital content, including videos, podcasts, interactive maps, and graphs. Prior to Drive, he studied at Monash University and gained experience working for various publications. He grew up playing Burnout 3: Takedown on the PS2 and was disappointed when real life car races didn’t have the same physics.

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