The Honda Civic Tourer proves its engine can achieve a Guinness record for low fuel consumption

We have all heard of Guinness World Records, so it is no surprise that there is growing interest in getting onto this list of unbelievable feats. And one of those records is for the lowest fuel consumption under normal driving conditions, so it is not a bad idea for a car manufacturer to put one of its engines to the test in order to be included in the Guinness Book of Records.

Honda wants the Civic Tourer to receive recognition from this record-keeping organisation as the car of its type with the lowest consumption, always under normal driving conditions. The challenge is to cover 13,000 kilometres across the length and breadth of the European Union and achieve minimal consumption over this route through 24 countries of the European Union. The countries left out of the test are those not on the mainland but on islands, which require another means of transport.

The Honda Civic Tourer, fitted with a 1.6-litre i-DTEC engine that promises to consume little enough to claim this record, arrived in Spain on 18 June. It entered through the La Jonquera border crossing and will stop in Sitges, after a 175-kilometre journey through Spanish territory. From the Catalan town it will travel on to Burgos, passing through Lleida, Zaragoza and Logroño. On the 21st it will head to Salamanca and Valladolid and reach Portugal on 22 June.

It will then return to Spain and retrace its route, reaching La Jonquera again and heading to its next destination. The journey began on 1 June in Aalst, Belgium and will end there on the 25th, after covering 13,614 kilometres. To meet the demanding conditions set by Guinness, the two drivers must cover 592 kilometres and drive for 7.2 hours a day throughout the route.

Each time fuel is topped up, the tank must be filled, to avoid weight variations and keep it more or less stable. This record has a very specific name, which is in fact “lowest fuel consumption across the 24 contiguous countries of the European Union”, and is measured in litres per 100 km and in miles per gallon, so both figures are recorded. To track the progress of the test, the Honda Civic Tourer is equipped with a TRACKER GPS system that logs the route.

There is also a record of fuel consumption, distances covered, photos, videos and records from independent witnesses that certify the objectives set for each stage have been met. If this record is successful, it will apply to all cars, including hybrid and electric models, that wish to prove their low consumption, on equal terms.

Source | Honda

Technical specifications of this car

HatchbackHonda Civic3 versions · from 36,300 €