Where there is pressure to achieve, there will be cheating. With auto companies facing increasing pressures of competition on one hand and tightening emissions legislation on the other, accusations of bodgy fuel consumption figures are inevitable.

In the US, Honda and Hyundai have found themselves squinting in the icy light of consumer group scrutiny.

A plaintiff against the Japanese company has been awarded nearly US$10K after her Civic Hybrid failed to live up to what a Californian small claims court decided were false fuel economy claims of up to 50mpg. Indeed Heather Peters said her 2006 car’s fuel economy dropped below 30mpg after Honda updated its ECU software. The company’s motivation, she claims, was to prolong battery life, help minimise $3K-a-pop warranty claims by placing more of the power burden on the car’s petrol engine ...Read Full Story