Three of Australia's best-selling utes are thirstier and dirtier on the road than in the lab, according to the latest real-world vehicle tests.
The background: The Australian Automobile Association revealed its road test results for another 15 vehicles on Wednesday, ranging from small SUVs to 4x4 utes.
While six out of the 15 vehicles used less or as much fuel as promised, nine vehicles consumed more petrol or diesel on the road, with one exceeding its estimate by seven per cent.
Alarmingly, four of the vehicles tested also produced more harmful emissions than allowed in lab tests.
The key quote: "We can now say with confidence that while some vehicles produce fuel consumption and emissions in line with lab tests reported by car makers, many do not," said Michael Bradley, managing director of the Australian Automobile Association (AAA).
What else to know: Three of the country's top-selling utes were driven on roads around Geelong, Victoria, in the latest testing and all used more diesel than estimated and produced more nitrogen oxide than allowed in lab tests.
The current model Ford Ranger 4x4 ute exceeded the NOx lab limit by 26 per cent, while the Isuzu D-Max 4x2 ute from 2023 and 4x4 ute from 2024 exceeded the limit by more than 50 per cent.
What happens next? The latest data brings the AAA's vehicle tests to 58 in its first year, and Bradley said the results proved testing needed to be undertaken.
