Those people considering taking out a Car Loan in order to buy a more efficient vehicle may be interested to hear the Mazda2 diesel came second in the ALD Automotive/Total Excellium Fleet World MPG Marathon.

The event was staged to promote eco-driving and highlight the amount of money that can be saved at the pump by employing smarter motoring techniques.

A route through mid-Wales and the Midlands attracted 39 cars and crews from 22 manufacturers.

The Mazda2 recorded 84.58 mpg.

Motoring journalist Sue Cooke who drove the model said she had never regarded her driving style as being "expertly economical".

However, she added: "Adopting a common sense approach and employing basic smarter motoring techniques ... allowed us to clearly demonstrate the huge fuel economy potential of the Mazda2."

In other news, Mazda recently announced it had increased its retail market share from 2.3 per cent in September 2007 to 3.1 per cent last month.


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