Diesel be your next luxury car
Think alternative fuel as the future of flash
By Shahzad Sheikh
Fuel prices in the UAE are no longer subsidised, and whilst around the world we’re enjoying relatively low fuel prices at present, being linked to international pricing means that inevitably the cost of filling up your beast will go up.
But here in the UAE we love big, we love fast and we love flash and posh. Does a bigger bill at the pump mean we must give up our totally guilty automotive pleasures? Well, not entirely. Firstly, go look at my essential fuel-saving guide which, if you fully adopt it, is sure to bring your monthly gas bill down to even less than what it was pre-deregulation by clicking here.
Secondly – think alternative fuel.
Whilst on holiday in the UK this summer I got to borrow a Range Rover Sport – it was capable of 0-100kph in about 7 seconds and a top speed of over 200kph. It looked the business, was packed full of luxury kit and you’d be hard-pressed to find a classier more imposing way to travel this side of a Rolls-Royce or a Bentley.
I did around 350km in this car around the M25 and through London’s stop-start traffic, and yet my average consumption shown was 31mpg – that’s a little over 9L/100km. I only used about half a tank of fuel. According to the specs, its combined fuel consumption is listed as 7.0L/100. Check out our New Car Buying Guide and you’ll find that’s Toyota Yaris levels of fuel economy – from a Range Rover Sport!
How is this possible? Simple. The Rangie I drove was of course a diesel. Though honestly speaking I did have to open up the fuel filler just to check after my first drive, that this was indeed a derv-burner. There was no tell-tale loud rattly start-up, no puff of black smoke (that’s ancient history as far as modern diesels are concerned) and no sluggish acceleration.
The Range Rover Sport Diesel – whilst not as thrusty or as melodic as the V8 – behaved liked a refined and quick petrol-engined car. So until you have to stop and fill it up, which clearly won’t be that often, you could simply forget that you’re driving a diesel car.
Now admittedly Land Rover doesn’t sell the diesel Range Rover Sport here (not yet anyway), although you can get the Porsche Cayenne Diesel believe it or not. Of course this market is all about supply and demand, so if enough people want diesel luxury SUVs the dealers will start bringing them in.
Of course there are other alternative fuel options for your luxury and performance metal. Hybrid is one (and more widely available including from Lexus, BMW and Mercedes), and this works best if most of your driving is around towns and cities, because it operates best at lower speeds – at higher speeds and during motorway cruising most hybrids tend to revert back to back to using the traditional combustion engine rather than the electric motors.
But then there are also range-extender hybrids. These always seemed an odd use of technology to me. Stick a perfectly serviceable engine into the car, but not necessarily attach it to the drivetrain at all. Instead use it to charge a battery that then runs the motors that actually drive the car. Hmm… Theoretically it’s a good halfway house between hybrid and full electric.
Ah, full electric. Well Tesla seems to be a runaway success when it comes to luxury electric cars, and whilst it’s not here officially, there are a few running about on our roads already. So I reckon it’s only a matter of time before the automotive sensation from Elon Musk (the real world Tony Stark) starts to take over our region (probably when the SUV-like Model X is launched) just as it is trying to take over most other markets.
So there you have it, fret not about fuel prices if you like your motoring fast and lavish. The choices are plentiful even today for thrifty motoring with more than a touch of class, and there are clearly more options on the way. Meanwhile get down to Land Rover dealer and wave a wad of cash in their face and demand they bring in the diesel Rangie Sport – it’s really that good.
