MOST cars are far less fuel efficient than manufacturers state, a study has found.

The worst performer is the hybrid petrol-electric Toyota Prius, which does only 52 miles per gallon, nearly 14mpg below Toyota’s claim.

On average, cars use 8 per cent more fuel than manufacturers estimate, research by What Car? magazine showed.

Drivers pay an average of £87 a year more for fuel than they would if manufacturers’ claims were accurate.

Eight of the top ten worst performers were small cars which tend to be bought because of their fuel economy.

The Kia Picanto 1.1 did 46mpg compared with the claimed figure of 57.6mpg. Smart Fortwo achieved 51.5mpg instead of 60.1mpg, the Peugeot 107 54mpg not 61.4mpg, and the Toyota Aygo 54mpg instead of 61.4mpg.

The magazine calculated what car owners can expect by using an electronic meter inserted into the cars’ fuel systems to measure the fuel used over identical routes and conditions.

Steve Fowler, editor of What Car?, said: “The fault lies not with the manufacturers but the method of testing cars’ economy enforced by the EU. Tests are carried out in laboratories with only gentle acceleration and at high temperatures — very different to real driving conditions.

“The EU should adopt a more realistic system suited to the way motorists drive, to provide accurate data.”

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