
Car buyers spend a lot of time fixating on fuel efficiency, as do car manufacturers.
It’s arguably one of the most important aspects of a vehicle and one that the majority of consumers look at before they pull the trigger on a new set of wheels.
However, there’s always the other side of the spectrum. The one where frugality plays second fiddle to just about everything else.
These cars are usually among the most powerful, most opulent, most beautiful, and most expensive rides you can get.
They are also as thirsty as can be.
Ferrari Purosangue – 17.3l/100km
The Ferrari Purosangue is the least fuel-efficient car in South Africa with a manufacturer-claimed rating of 17.3l/100km.
This astounding figure comes courtesy of a 6.5-litre, naturally aspirated, V12 powerplant generating a mountain-shifting 533kW and 716Nm.
The drive unit is Paired up with an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox and propels the “not-an-SUV” to 100km/h in a flashing 3.3 seconds.
200km/h is attained in a mere 10.6 seconds, and you can go all the way to 310km/h should you so please.
It’s then rather understandable that the Ferrari is so thirsty.
However, its high-net-worth owners needn’t worry too much about frequent trips to the filling station.
The Prancing Horse – that’s “definitely not an SUV” – is equipped with an SUV-size 100-litre petrol tank, meaning it can go a decent 578km before needing a top-up.
Mercedes-AMG G63 – 14.7l/100km
In second, a decent gap from the Ferrari, is the Mercedes-AMG G63, which reportedly sips 14.7 litres of propellant for every 100km.
The new G-Wagen sports a 4.0-litre, twin-turbo V8 petrol engine, which produces a heady 430kW and 800Nm.
It’s tied up with a 48V mild-hybrid system which brings a further 15kW and 200Nm of boost during acceleration.
A nine-speed auto-box relays power to the 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, enabling the blocky SUV to sprint from 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds.
With 100 litres of petrol on tap, the G63’s passengers can travel as far as 680km until they must pull over for a refill.
Toyota Land Cruiser 79 4.0 V6 / Nissan Patrol 5.6 V8 – 14.4l/100km
Tied for third in terms of fuel usage are the Toyota Land Cruiser 79 and Nissan Patrol – both a rather stark departure from first and third places – with a reading of 14.4l/100km.
The Land Cruiser is the clear outlier here. It’s nowhere close to the level of luxury and status of its peers, but it’s equally heavy on juice.
That’s because it’s fitted with a 4.0-litre, V6 petrol mill good for 170kW and 360Nm, paired with a five-speed manual box.
The engine, codenamed 1GR-FE, made its debut all the way back in 2002 and has stayed relatively unfettered with ever since, which explains the lack of refinement.
That said, it will probably still be running long after you and I have turned into worm food, and it certainly has a target demographic who still wants it.
The single-cab Land Cruiser gets two 90-litre tanks that achieve a total driving range of 1,250km.
Meanwhile, the double-cab variant comes with a single 130-litre fuel cell that slashes driving potential to 903km.
While the Nissan Patrol reports the same consumption as the Toyota, it’s a wholly different offering.
In the current generation – the new one is coming sometime next year – the luxury SUV features a mammoth of a 5.6-litre, V8 block.
Combined with a seven-speed automatic transmission, the drivetrain produces 298kW and 560Nm which is channelled to all four tyres.
Owners can expect to travel as much as 972km between petrol station visits owing to its 140-litre fuel receptacle.
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