With the gas prices relentlessly going up week by week, fuel economy is one of the top priorities of those considering buying a car. It makes total sense to look for this number one trait, as the Philippines mostly import gas, and the fuel prices in the country depend on external factors in the global market, and we still have that Oil Deregulation Law which actually gives oil companies in the country free reign to regulate themselves when pricing their petrol and diesel products.

Anyway, nothing we can do about that, but what we can actually control is the fuel economy of the vehicle we choose to purchase. Enter the Toyota Avanza. A main player in the Philippine MPV market which in the past months got a face-lift and an upgrade from Toyota. Now, Toyota claims to have improved its efficiency in fuel consumption by a hefty 20%!

It is March of the current year when Toyota said that the four variants of the Avanza are actually more fuel efficient in its latest iteration. Currently, we have the 1.5 G Avanza, which runs on a, well, 1.5-liter 1NR-VE four-cylinder engine paired with a CVT. The 1.3 1NR-VE four-cylinder engine is paired to a CVT as well, for the 1.3 E CVT. For the 1.3 E and the 1.3 J, they share the same engine, but it is paired with a Manual Transmission instead of a CVT. According to the figures released by TMP, the G, and the E have similar readings at about 15 to 16 kilometers per liter in the city, assuming light to no traffic, and about 20 to 21 kilometers per liter on the highway. The E and J variants have a similar reading at about 13 kilometers per liter in the city and 19 kilometers per liter on the highway.

Now, take these with a grain of salt, not only because these came from Toyota, but also because the Avanza is an MPV, which seats seven and can be cramped with stuff. Expect that fuel economy figures might dwindle down a little as you encounter heavier traffic in the metro and/or you pack your Avanza with people or stuff. Some figures now show about 10 to 11 kilometers per liter reading in the city with quite some traffic. Still, that figure is good, especially since you can transport more people than a small micro compact or sedan. Let's stay put for more reviews in the coming months to see how the latest Avanza really fares on fuel economy. I won't be holding my breath though. Right now, it already looks good, so anytime is the best time to get your Avanza. Or maybe the Veloz is the one that makes your heart beat faster now.

Also Read: The All-new 2022 Toyota Avanza on Its Redefined Performance