The thrifty running Peugeot 407 HDi turbo diesel has been shattering fuel economy records in Australia, according to a company statement.

A new 407 sedan, driven by John Taylor, went from one side of Australia to the other using less than $150 worth of fuel.

The Peugeot consumed 115.55 litres of diesel on the epic 2,991 kilometres journey through some of the harshest road conditions, averaging a remarkable 3.46 litres/100 km.

With the standard 66-litre fuel tank, the Peugeot completed 1,700 kilometres without the need to refuel, the statement added.

Taylor’s wife Helen travelled in convoy in a second Peugeot 407 HDi. Unlike John’s manual transmission model, Helen’s 407 had the four-stage auto adaptive automatic transmission.

She completed 1,445.6 kilometres on just one tank, equivalent to 4.56 litres/100 km.

This is believed to be a world record for the longest distance driven on one tank of fuel for a standard production car with automatic transmission. Taylor is applying to the Guinness Worlds Records office in London for official validation of the achievement.

The pair set off from Darwin and travelled south down the Stuart Highway to Adelaide after a rest day in Alice Springs.

Fuel economy driving expert John Taylor set a world record when he drove a Peugeot 307 HDi around Australia and averaged 3.5 litres/100km.

After the success of that long distance drive, Peugeot Automobiles Australia managing director, Rob Dommerson asked John if he would put the larger 407 to the test.

Both John and Helen were impressed by the performance of the new model.

They said that the stylish looks created a great deal of interest along the way.

“The 407 has all the creature comforts you would want on a long drive, and it has the most comfortable seats I have ever driven in,” said Helen Taylor.

The entire journey was strictly scrutinised, including official observance by the Victorian Police Force. The Peugeots were also inspected by the Australian NRMA motoring organisation in order to ensure that the odometers were accurate and to verify that the fuel tanks were unmodified.

Peugeot’s 407 HDi sedan automatic, which is priced at $51,990 in New Zealand, uses state-of-the-art diesel technology.

The multi-valve engine is Euro 3 compliant and produces 100 kW of power and a generous 320 Nm of torque.

Steve Kenchington, general manager of Sime Darby Automobiles, the New Zealand concessionaire for Peugeot, said the performance of the 407 underlined the remarkable efficiency of the car.

“Peugeots have a long-standing reputation for low fuel consumption, and the 407 builds on this quality,” he said. “And what really makes a Peugeot stand out from the rest is that, coupled with such frugal fuel consumption, the cars boast an incredible torque curve.

“In the days where one of the above is usually compromised by the other, we can proudly say that economy and power go hand in hand with a Peugeot,” he added.

A Peugeot 406 HDi was the outright winner of the 2002 New Zealand Energywise Rally, beating many small vehicles.

In an independent test five years ago, a standard Peugeot 406 HDi sedan completed 1,971.6 kilometres without refuelling in a mid-winter drive over North Island roads. This was the longest distance ever covered by a production car in New Zealand on one tank of fuel, and resulted in an average fuel consumption of 3.55 litres/100 km.