Vauxhall will voluntarily publish real-world CO2 and NOx emissions data from the second quarter of next year.
Vauxhall and parent company Opel will publish figures recorded during the World Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP) alongside its regular fuel consumption and CO2 figures. The first vehicle to have its WLTP figures published will be the new Vauxhall Astra.
The current ‘New European Driving Cycle’ emissions test - which has been widely criticised as being old fashioned and 'not fit for purpose' in the wake of the Volkswagen emissions scandal - is to be replaced by the more modern WLTP in 2017.
The WLTP is capable of replicating real-world driving more closely than the NEDC, meaning that its claimed fuel consumption and CO2 figures are capable of being replicated by customers. Vauxhall is the first manufacturer to agree to publish WTLP figures ahead of the test becoming mandatory.
Vauxhall says it is also working towards several improvements in Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) exhaust treatments in Euro 6 engines. Vauxhall will use SCR as a staple device in its future Euro 6 diesel powertrains in the future.
The fitting of the improved SCR system to new vehicles is due to start next summer, but owners of the current Zafira Tourer, Insignia and Cascada will also have the option of having the system retro-fitted.
Opel boss Dr. Karl-Thomas Neumann said: “The events and discussions in the last weeks and months have shown that there is a tremendous focus on the automotive industry and it is now time to act based on the learnings.
“It is obvious to me that the diesel discussion is a turning point. The world is not as it was before. We cannot ignore this and it is in the hands of the automotive industry to change the perception of the new reality.”
Neumann has called for greater transparency between car makers and authorities in Europe. “In the USA, the companies disclose their complete calibration philosophy to authorities,” he said. “I would like to see us embrace this practice in Europe.”
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My take on how close modern
Only a steady motorway-only drive raises the average of the little petrols. But it's still noticably far from the claims. There's going to have to be some major fettling going in the next couple of years to prevent some embarrassing increases in apparent consumption of the WLTP vs current figures.
Cylinder count
Comparable