BOLOGNA, Italy (djc) — The all-new Chrysler Voyager MPV, which is launched in Europe today at the Motor Show di Bologna 2000, has just completed an incredible fuel economy and endurance driving achievement.
A Chrysler Voyager SE, fitted with an all-new 2.5-litre common rail turbo diesel engine, set a new world record for fuel economy, travelling 1724 kilometres (1077 miles) on a single tank of diesel fuel.
The same Voyager then followed this achievement by establishing 22 time and distance records for a diesel-powered MPV, covering a distance of 4303 km (2689 miles) in 24 hours. The Voyager’s average speed over the 24 hours was 179 km/h (111.8 mph). All of the records are subject to confirmation.
The seven-seat Voyager, was driven to a new world record for the greatest distance covered by a standard production vehicle on a single tank of fuel by John Taylor and his wife Helen – both from Australia. Travelling at an average speed of 76 km/h (48 mph), the Taylors achieved a fuel consumption of just 4.35 litres/100 km (65.3 miles per imperial gallon).
They drove the standard Voyager on normal roads and in all kinds of traffic and weather conditions, beating the previous record that was held by a Ssangyong Musso, which covered 1703 kilometres on a single tank of fuel in 1999.
The couple drove the Voyager from DaimlerChrysler’s Eurostar production facility in Graz, Austria, where the new Voyager is built, to the Brussels headquarters of Chrysler Jeep Europe and then on to Calais in Northern France. On arriving in Calais, they found that there was still sufficient fuel remaining in the 75-litre tank for the vehicle to be driven back to Brussels, completing their total journey in less than the 24 hours permitted by the regulations.
After having proved the fuel economy of the Voyager and its CRD engine, the same vehicle went on to prove its power, speed and durability credentials by completing a 24-hour uninterrupted drive at the Prototipo Test Facility at Nardo, near Brindisi, in Southern Italy.
Piloted by three drivers from Chrysler’s Team ORECA Viper racing team, the Voyager set 22 records for speed and endurance. The Voyager covered more distance in 24 hours – over 161 km in fact – than the winning Chrysler Viper travelled in the 24 Hours of Daytona race earlier this year. The total distance was only 228 km less than the class-winning Chrysler Viper covered in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Drivers Ni Amorim of Portugal, Jean-Phillipe Belloc of France and Marc Duez of Belgium, completed 340 laps of the 12.6-kilometre high speed Prototipo circuit, stopping only to refuel the Voyager.
A second vehicle, a Chrysler Voyager 2.5 CRD LX, followed the Team ORECA vehicle throughout the 24 hour period. Both vehicles ran flawlessly throughout and no spare parts or maintenance were required during the 24 hours.
“For the drivers from Team ORECA and John and Helen Taylor to break such contrasting world records in the same standard vehicle, just days apart without a single hitch, proves beyond doubt that the new Voyager’s CRD engine is powerful, economical and durable,” said Steven Landry, President of Chrysler Jeep Europe.
Both of the record-breaking drives were independently observed by Police Constable Steve Driver, from the West Midlands Police Force in the UK. He was responsible for ensuring that the Taylors strictly adhered to all road traffic laws. He was responsible for sealing the Voyager’s 75-litre fuel tank at the start of the fuel economy drive in Austria and he removed the seal when the vehicle was refilled in Belgium. He was also present to monitor and confirm the lap counts and timings throughout the 24-hour drive in Italy.
Commenting on his record-breaking drive, fuel economy driving expert John Taylor said: “We didn’t intentionally set out to beat this fuel economy world record. We were attempting to reach Brussels from Graz on a single tank of fuel but after achieving it on just over half a tank, we knew straight away that there was a possibility we could go on to break the record. We achieved it with fuel to spare!”
“I have achieved many fuel economy feats in the past but this one definitely ranks as my greatest one so far,” he added, “We were amazed by the low consumption of the new Voyager in what were realistic and tough driving conditions.”
The all-new, 2500 cc 16-valve four cylinder turbocharged common rail diesel engine, developed by DaimlerChrysler subsidiary Detroit Diesel in Cento Ferrara, Italy, is the most powerful in the MPV segment. It will be offered in the new Voyager when it goes on sale in Europe next Spring.
It features direct fuel injection and dual overhead camshafts in a one piece aluminium cylinder head and produces 104 kW (140 bhp) at 4000 rpm and 312 Nm (230 lb ft) torque at 1800 rpm. This works out at 56 bhp per litre – 22 per cent more than the previous version – and 125 Nm per litre – 17 per cent more than the previous engine.
On the road, this provides the Voyager with spirited performance. The new vehicle is capable of a top speed of 185 km/h or 115 mph, where permitted, and accelerates from rest to 100 kph in around 12 seconds.
For the first time on a diesel engine, DaimlerChrysler’s new CRD engine features the Bosch Common Rail system with a new CP3 pump to provide high combustion efficiency. The engine complies with the new Euro III emissions regulations.
