The van category in this year’s MPG Marathon was won by a Renault Trafic, which achieved an impressive 57.65mpg over the 300-mile test course.

That’s a 20.35% improvement on the manufacturer’s stated combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 47.9mpg, which is fairly decent itself. The Trafic was a SL27 Energy Dci 120 Sport model, driven by MPG Marathon veteran Dan Gilkes, who is editor of VAN Fleet World, and co-driver Ray Penford.

This year’s win was the second consecutive victory for the Trafic/Gilkes pairing, which topped the LCV category last year with a 55.55mpg score.

Dan Gilkes and Ray Penford with their Renault Trafic, 2015 winners of the van category.

Of course, Gilkes and Penford were driving an empty Trafic. Vans aren’t usually empty when they are in use, and more weight equals higher fuel consumption. As anyone who has driven a van knows, it’s quite easy to drive with a very light right foot when there’s no weight in the back.

This wasn’t an advantage enjoyed by RAC Patrol of the Year Ben Wilson, who competed at the MPG Marathon in his new Vito 116 CDi long wheelbase patrol van, laden with his normal selection of more than 500 tools and spare parts.

According to Ben, this meant his van weighed in at around 3,000kg,which I’d estimate is at least 1,000kg more than an empty Trafic.

Despite this significant weight penalty, Wilson recorded an average of 47.57mpg, a whisker ahead of Mercedes’ official combined cycle figure of 47.1mpg. This was enough to put Wilson in third place in the LCV category — and without taking anything away from van winner Dan Gilkes’ fuel-saving credentials, I reckon that’s a very impressive performance.

Other achievements of note include those of second-place van entrants Neil McIntee and Peter Thompson, who squeezed 68.84mpg from their Citroen Berlingo Blue HDi 100 S/S, a 1.98% improvement on the manufacturers’ combined cycle figure of 67.3mpg.

Event organiser and Fleet World publishing director, Jerry Ramsdale, said:

“Congratulations to all the contestants in the light commercial vehicle category in this year’s MPG Marathon.  Their performances show that it isn’t just the latest cars which have made great strides in overall economy and fuel efficiency.

“The latest light commercial vehicles are now more fuel-efficient and more environmentally friendly than ever before, and their achievements this year are a great tribute to the advances made by the participating motor manufacturers,” he said.

The overall winner of this year’s MPG Marathon, the 15^th to date, was former professional motorsport manager and rally driver Mick Linford, now an automotive events specialist,  who clocked up an astonishing 104.50 mpg overall in a Peugeot 208 Active Blue HDi.