Volkswagen Passat Sets New Cross Canada Mileage Record

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Jul 12, 2012, 13:03 ET

Volkswagen and Shell Team Up With Record-Setting Couple

AJAX, ON, July 12, 2012 /CNW/ - Halifax to Vancouver. A total of 6,340 kilometers across Canada. Eight drivers. One car. With summer now upon us, many Canadians will soon set out on their own "road trip" and Volkswagen Canada and Shell recently teamed up to make the drive more enjoyable, more economical, and easier on the environment.

Dubbed the "Smarter Driver Event", the team of drivers were not going to do this alone. John and Helen Taylor, who recently completed a world-record-setting drive of over 2,600 km on one tank in a factory-stock 2012 Passat TDI Clean Diesel, would serve as the mentors on this drive. Their plan was to share their fuel-saving driving techniques and showcase how a few simple changes to one's driving habits can make a big difference. The Taylors would ride in the Passat's passenger seat next to one of the drivers, with the other team members following closely in two Volkswagen Touareg support vehicles.

The car was a 2012 Volkswagen Passat equipped with a 2.5L five-cylinder engine and a six-speed automatic transmission. No modifications were made to the vehicle other than a thorough pre-trip mechanical inspection.

With room for five and a healthy 170 horsepower on tap, the Passat was well-equipped for the journey. Automatic climate control, satellite radio and generous room for five ensured maximum passenger comfort.

The only question: Could eight average Canadians make the journey on just six tanks of fuel?

Setting out from Halifax, the team encountered all driving conditions that a normal Canadian family would on their own summer vacation: sun, wind, rain, and traffic jams were all part of the adventure.

Only Shell Bronze gasoline was used throughout the journey, as this remains the company's top-selling blend.

The results?

After arriving in Vancouver on Friday, June 22^nd, all of the facts and figures were certified and the Passat, along with the Taylors and their team of drivers came out on top. A new Canadian record for fuel efficiency was established as the Passat completed the trip with an average fuel consumption of just 5.59 L/100 km. This resulted in a range of 1,352 km per tank, meaning a grand total of just 4.69 tankfuls. These totals far exceeded pre-event estimates and resulted in a total fuel cost of just $452.90.

Volkswagen has a worldwide initiative called Think Blue. This program was developed with energy savings in mind. The Taylor's methods of fuel conservation fall right in step with the Think Blue philosophy. Think Blue, however, is about more than saving fuel. Small lifestyle changes outside of the vehicle can have significant impact on energy consumption, and it is these changes that Volkswagen is eager to encourage. The company has committed billions of dollars towards energy conservation, and hopes to "spread the word" wherever possible.

For more information on the "Smarter Driver Event", follow the links to: YouTube.com/VolkswagenCanada and on VW.ca.

About Volkswagen Canada:

Founded in 1952 and celebrating its 60^th year in the country, Volkswagen Canada is headquartered in Ajax, Ontario. It is the largest volume European automotive nameplate in Canada, and sells the Golf, Golf Wagon, Golf GTI, Beetle, Jetta, Eos, Passat, CC, Tiguan, Routan, and Touareg through 135 independent Canadian Dealers. It is the leader in affordable TDI Clean Diesel vehicle sales in Canada, and forms part of Volkswagen Group Canada Inc., a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Volkswagen is one of the world's largest producers of passenger cars and is Europe's largest automaker.

Visit Volkswagen Canada online at Volkswagen.ca.

Video with caption: "Video: Volkswagen and Shell team up to achieve Cross Canada mileage record". Video available at: http://stream1.newswire.ca/cgi-bin/playback.cgi?file=20120712_C7961_VIDEO_EN_16205.mp4&posterurl=http://photos.newswire.ca/images/20120712_C7961_PHOTO_EN_16205.jpg&clientName=Volkswagen%20Canada%20Inc%2E&caption=Video%3A%20Volkswagen%20and%20Shell%20team%20up%20to%20achieve%20Cross%20Canada%20mileage%20record&title=VOLKSWAGEN%20CANADA%20INC%2E%20%2D%20Volkswagen%20Passat%20Sets%20New%20Cross%20Canada%20Mileage%20Record&headline=Volkswagen%20Passat%20Sets%20New%20Cross%20Canada%20Mileage%20Record

Image with caption: "Volkswagen and Shell team up to achieve Cross Canada mileage record (CNW Group/Volkswagen Canada Inc.)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20120712_C7961_PHOTO_EN_16198.jpg