Market Watch: These Used Cars Can Travel 1,000km Per Tank

We’re creeping that much closer to doomsday for diesel cars - new diesel vehicles cannot be registered come 2025 in Singapore. We’ve covered why they’ll be missed from a performance standpoint, with humongous torque at the behest of your right foot. There’s a certain swagger in the way they deploy speed. But on the other end of the spectrum lies another advantage - give them an empty stretch of tarmac and they sip fuel - we’re talking 1,000km-per-tank frugality here.

Sure, Singapore’s urban landscape renders this challenge nearly impossible, but for those who drive to Malaysia, open roads are where they shine. A couple of years back we shortlisted fuel efficient cars that can tackle record high fuel prices (blame the pandemic), but this exercise takes aim at the market’s electrified players. While an EV’s range will improve over time, it’ll take some time for them to replicate what diesel cars have aced for ages.

Wait, why are hybrid cars not in the picture? It makes more sense piloting them on local streets, sure, but they often have smaller fuel tanks (in the name of weight savings we reckon). The Toyota Corolla Cross, for example, should be able to hit 800km per tank with a fuel tank of 43 litres and an efficiency of 18.8km/l. That, in our books, is already a champion figure. The current-gen Kia Niro Hybrid can hit more than 1,000km theoretically (25km/l efficiency with a 42-litre tank), but there isn’t any on the resale market at time of writing. Diesel it is, then!

2018 BMW 116d

A 3-cylinder diesel in the BMW 116d might sound agricultural for a passenger car, but diesels have improved so much in terms of refinement and insulation that some might not even question the motor choice under the hood.

For an entry level Beemer it offers plenty of handy bits - a smooth 8-speed auto, rear wheel drive, a kerb weight of 1,395kg (half of a BMW XM!) and of course, an award-worthy fuel efficiency figure of 25km/l, which on a 52-litre fuel tank gives it 1,300km per tank on paper. It’s a stunning achievement…

2017 BMW 520d

We’ve grown up seeing 5ers on local streets primarily propelled by petrol units - 520i, 523i and the occasional mouth-watering straight six 535i have defined our impression of this midsize luxury sedan.

In some neighbouring countries where roads are way more vast, it is in fact the 520d that dominates sales (followed by the 530e PHEV), which goes to show how flexible the 5’s platform is. In Luxury-spec, this 520d adds a “Chrome Line” exterior and sports leather-clad steering wheel. If you’re into road trips, a 66-litre fuel tank and efficiency of 20.8km/l should ease any anxiety during your adventure into the unknown.

2021 Kia Carnival Diesel 2.2 SX Tech Pack 7-Seater

Kia’s fleet of new cars include very tempting hybrid variants like the Niro, Sorento and Carnival - all of which have incredible fuel economy ratings. But their diesel motors that powered some in the previous generation were not too shabby either.

As for the previous-gen Carnival diesel, it came with the same 72-litre fuel tank as the current-gen, and a fuel efficiency rating of 14.5km/l. Torque is recorded at a respectable 440Nm, a tad higher than the hybrid’s 366Nm. North-South Highway spurts take on a different beat in the diesel-variant…

2016 Jaguar XE 2.0D Prestige

By now you might be wondering if 1,000km is even achievable on Singapore’s roads, given how often we emphasised highway runs. Moreover, let diesels idle and fuel figures nosedive. If there’s one that exemplifies the benefits of diesels at both bookends, the Jaguar XE 2.0D might be it.

7.8 seconds from 0 - 100km/h is plenty quick for our roads. But what’s key is its 430Nm of torque that should make city hooning a cinch. Sure, COE premiums had a part to play, but imagine paying budget EV money back then for a dynamic luxury sedan. With almost 4 times the range, adding salt to the wound…

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