Friday, October 12, 2007

Fuel-sipping cabrios - Because you shouldn't pollute when you enjoy fresh air

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Auto-News is gladly offering up a bunch of lists these days. We saw high-mpg gasoline vehicles recently and now it's time for convertibles. We've taken a look at AN's list of the most fuel efficient convertibles in Germany, with figures and price. By extension, most of these cars can be purchased in Western Europe at similar prices.

While it's true that convertibles have lower mpg ratings than coupés or sedans, European marques have been installing efficient powertrains and even diesel engines, which seemed a heresy because of rattles, noises and fumes. Fuel economy has also been improved with the "CC"s.

Convertibles are not the most Cx efficient vehicles in the world, and with the top up, air always found its way inside making a "parachute effect" which added extra drag to the car. With metal tops, the problem has been partially solved, although they carry extra weight. They also add safety against robbery for owners, since cloth tops are really easy to open with a knife.

Most of these cars are, then, diesels, and most of them have factory-installed anti-particullate filters. You will also notice that some automakers use the same engines. That's the case of Ford/Psa, Saab/Opel, VW/Audi. And you have tops of every kind, from retractable to cloth.

The picture shows #15, the Mitsubishi Colt CZC. Find the rest of the list after the jump.

[Source: Auto-News]
Model l/100 mpg (US) Engine Size Fuel HP 0-60 mph Price Notes
Mitsubishi Colt CZC 1.5 6,6 35,9 1.5 liter Gasoline 109 10.5 sec 17490 Retractable roof
Audi A4 Cabriolet 2.0 TDI RPF 6,4 37 2 liter Diesel + APF 140 10.4 36400
Saab 9-3 Cabriolet 1.9 TiD Linear RPF 6,3 37,6 1.9 liter Diesel + APF 150 10.4 36000
BMW 325d Cabriolet RPF 6,2 38,2 3 liter Diesel + APF 197 7.9 46450
VW Eos 2.0 TDI RPF 6 39,4 2 liter Diesel + APF 140 10.3 31000
Peugeot 307 CC HDi FAP 135 Sport 6 39,4 2 liter Diesel + APF 136 10.3 28550 Retractable roof
Opel Astra TwinTop 1.9 CDTI Edition RPF 6 39,4 1.9 liter Diesel + APF 150 10.2 29650 Retractable roof
Daihatsu Copen 6 39,4 1.3 liter Gasoline 87 9.5 17660 Retractable roof
Ford Focus Coupé-Cabriolet 2.0 TDCi RPF Trend 5,9 40,1 2.0 liter Diesel + APF 136 10.3 27950 Retractable roof
Renault Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet 1.9 dCi FAP Dynamique 5,8 40,8 1.9 liter Diesel + APF 130 9.6 27200 Retractable roof
VW New Beetle Cabrio 1.9 TDI 5,5 43 1.9 liter Diesel 105 12.0 24750
Peugeot 207 CC HDi FAP 110 Filou 5,2 45,5 1.6 liter Diesel + APF 109 10.9 21000 Retractable roof
Citroen C3 Pluriel HDi 70 Style 4,7 50,4 1.4 liter Diesel 68 16.1 18950 Removable top
Opel Tigra TwinTop 1.3 CDTI 4,6 51,4 1.3 liter Diesel 70 15.5 19130 Retractable roof
smart fortwo cabrio 0.8 cdi pure RPF 3,3 71,7 0.8 liter Diesel + APF 45 19.8 14140

Please note that the comma in the two first columns denotes the decimal separation. Also, to obtain the mpg figures, l/100 has been converted using 1 gal = 3.81 liters, 1 mile = 1.61 km APF denotes Anti Particullate Filter.

Here's a picture of the winner:

 

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