VW Passat BlueMotion Drives Over 1,500 miles (2,400 km) on a Single Tank

A Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion driven by Sunday Times journo Gavin Conway has been awarded a Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled by an unmodified production car on a single tank of fuel.

The three-day trip began in Maidstone, England, where the Passat's tank was drained and filled with 77.25 liters (20.41 US gallons) of diesel. The journey finally ended close to Calais after 1,526.63 miles (2,456.87 km), the equivalent of driving halfway from New York to Los Angeles.

Conway was accompanied by a navigator and video crew. The attempt was witnessed by two Automobile Association (AA) patrolman, who followed the Passat in a van. The Passat averaged 45 mph [72 km/h] and 89.93 UK mpg (74.88 US mpg or 3.14 lt / 100 km), beating its official combined average of 64.2 UK mpg (53.46 US mpg or 4.40 lt / 100 km).

The Passat BlueMotion model is powered by a 1.6-liter common-rail turbodiesel good for 105-horsepwoer. Like all of Volkswagen's BlueMotion models, the Passat BlueMotion features a raft of efficiency improving modifications including an aerodynamic package, lowered ride height, stop/start system, longer gearing and low rolling resistance tires.

The Passat used was one of the outgoing B6 models, not the newer B7 shown at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

By Tristan Hankins

Paris Motor Show Poll: Kia Optima vs Peugeot 508 vs VW Passat

At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, we saw three new mid-size sedans making their way to the halls of the Parc des Expositions Porte de Versailles. Two of them, the all-new Peugeot 508 and the redesigned VW Passat B7, received their world premiere, while the Kia Optima was presented for the first time in Europe.

Now, we all know you can't and you shouldn't buy a car based upon looks or preliminary specs alone. It's the whole package that counts. However, in this case, we simply want to find out which one of these new family sedans captured your attention for the right reasons.

Place your vote in the poll after the jump and be sure to have your say in the comments section.

Which mid-size sedan do you like more?

___________________________PEUGEOT 508__________________________

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_____________________________KIA OPTIMA____________________________

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__________________________VW PASSAT B7_________________________