HSV: Maloo ute's eco win no surprise

HSV Maloo improved 48.7 per cent over its 15.1l/100km thirst claim. Photo / Supplied

News that an HSV Maloo ute won Australia's Global Green Challenge Eco Drive didn't come as a surprise to Kiwis.

That car also won "most improved over claim" in the last AA-run EnergyWise Rally. But the AA's overall winner is determined on cost to consumer - ie, on the cost to fill. Petrol-hybrids or frugal petrol cars do well, while the smallest diesels cost more. However, Australia's rules give the outright win to the car with the largest improvement over its claim, and the 6.2-litre Maloo tallied 7.7l/100km, a 48.7 per cent improvement over its official 15.1l/100km thirst.

Ford's diesel Fiesta Econetic drank least at 3.3l/100km for a 15.4 per cent improvement over the course of the rally. But it lost, while Honda and Toyota didn't enter their hybrids, as the "percentage improvement rule" and the high proportion of highway driving would penalise their cars.

Sun-drenched Aussie highways are a gift for the solar vehicles, with the Japanese Tokai Challenge team taking the solar challenge. A Tesla electric sports car set a world record for distance between charges, from 71km to 501km.