The most fuel efficient passenger cars in Australia

If you have to take a lot of people on long trips, it’s important to have a vehicle that can hold everything you need and go the distance.

The passenger car segment isn’t one of the most competitive in the Australian market, but there are still a number of options to consider when choosing the vehicle with the best fuel economy.

To help break it down further, we took the picks in our ‘Passenger Cars Under $70,000’ category and compared them based on the best fuel economy they’re supposed to have.

Some of these models offer different engine options across the range, so we’ve ranked them based on which variants offer the best fuel economy in the table below. The figures for each individual variant are detailed throughout the article.

There are also a number of electric people movers in Australia now, although they all cost over $70,000 and will be analysed in detail against the competition in a later article.

If you are wondering about the trunk capacity and seating capacity of these cheap passenger cars, the details will be covered in a separate article.

Click on a vehicle name above to go directly to that vehicle’s information on the page or continue scrolling to see the full list.

Volkswagen Cars

The Volkswagen Caddy Maxi tops the list, with TDI320 diesel variants boasting a claimed fuel consumption of 4.9L/100km on the combined cycle.

Like several others on this list, the Caddy is available in both commercial van and passenger van configurations. The latter models carry the Maxi name and are powered by either a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine or a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine.

All petrol models return 6.2L/100km and are $2000 cheaper than their diesel equivalents. Prices start at $52,290 before on-roads for the entry-level TSI220 Maxi and go up to $64,090 before on-roads for the TDI320 California Maxi.

The range comes with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and all models use a 50-litre fuel tank.

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Kia Festival

Australia’s best-selling passenger car is the only one here to be sold with a hybrid powertrain, with a claimed fuel consumption of 5.8L/100km.

The hybrid powertrain is only available on the most expensive GT-Line trim, which starts at $76,210 before on-roads. It uses a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with an integrated electric motor.

All other models are powered by either a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine or a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. The petrol models return 9.6L/100km on 91 RON unleaded petrol, while the diesel versions return 6.5L/100km.

Prices start at $50,150 before on-roads for the base V6, while all Carnivals use a 72-litre fuel tank and come with a seven-year, unlimited-mileage warranty.

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Volkswagen Caravelle

The second vehicle on this list is a Volkswagen van, the Caravelle, which has a combined fuel consumption of 6.6L/100km.

The car is sold in a TDI340 Trendline version, equipped with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine. It is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission that only sends power to the front wheels.

The Caravelle costs $69,290 before on-roads, which is similar to the price of a base Volkswagen Multivan. It comes with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and runs on fuel from an 80-litre tank.

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Volkswagen Multivan

The Multivan is the final Volkswagen on this list and the three cheaper versions of this car average 6.6L/100km on the combined cycle.

Those variants are non-four-wheel-drive TDI340 Comfortline variants, powered by the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine as the Caravelle.

4Motion all-wheel drive variants boost fuel economy to 7.6L/100km, with TDI340 models priced from $69,290 to $78,290 (before on-road costs).

Three Multivan variants are also available with the more powerful TDI450 engine, with fuel economy ranging from 7.0L/100km to 7.9L/100km depending on variant. All three carry a higher price tag of between $95,690 and $98,690 before on-roads.

The Multivan range comes with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. All models use diesel from an 80-litre tank, except the Comfortline SWB which has a 70-litre tank.

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Hyundai Staria

Hyundai’s unique Staria model is ranked near the bottom of this list, with turbo-diesel variants consuming a claimed 8.2L/100km.

There are three versions available with either a petrol or diesel engine. The more frugal diesel models are powered by a 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine and come with standard four-wheel drive.

Versions with the 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine are available with front-wheel drive and require RON 91 unleaded petrol. The starting price range is $49,500 before on-roads for the base petrol Staria model and up to $67,500 before on-roads for the top-spec turbo diesel Highlander.

Hyundai backs the Staria with a five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, and all models use a 75-liter tank regardless of fuel type. This is another vehicle that has a commercial van version, using Download Staria nameplate.

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LDV Mifa

Rounding off the list is the LDV Mifa, which is only available in petrol and has a combined fuel consumption of 9.3L/100km.

Under the hood is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, sending power to the front wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

There are three variants in the Mifa range, priced from $53,990 to $72,990. LDV doesn’t offer a recommended minimum fuel, but given the turbocharged powertrain, we’d say 95 RON premium unleaded is a safe bet.

All versions use petrol from a 75-litre fuel tank, while the range is guaranteed for seven years, 200,000km.

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