The 30 competitors in the MPG Marathon achieved an average 16% improvement over the published fuel consumption figures for their vehicles, with two teams even managing to achieve over 100 MPG in the event, for the first time ever, in a Ford Fiesta and Kia Rio.

'As fleets come to terms with understanding their budgets for 2013, the need for tighter control on fuel costs has never been greater,' said Rhys Harrhy, ProFleet2 development consultant of ALD Automotive. 'And one of the initiatives we're likely to see more of in the coming year is greater encouragement for company car and van drivers to drive more economically.'

He added: 'Given that these vehicles were being driven in "real-world" conditions – with poor weather, stop-start traffic and general congestion – these results show just how much driving behaviour can influence fuel consumption, or the lack of it.'