Driving
Active cylinder management (ACT®)
Reduce idling time
in order to minimise fuel consumption and
emissions.
Depending on vehicle equipment, the active
cylinder management (ACT®) may deacti-
vate some of the engine cylinders if the driv-
ing situation does not require too much
power. The number of active cylinders can
be seen on the instrument panel display.
In vehicles with the Start-Stop system idling
is automatically reduced. In vehicles without
the Start-Stop system it is worth switching off
the engine, for example, at level crossings
and at traffic lights that remain red for long
periods of time. When an engine has
A cold engine consumes a disproportionate
amount of fuel. The engine reaches its work-
ing temperature after about four kilometres
(2.5 miles), when fuel consumption will re-
turn to a normal level.
page 71.
reached operating temperature, and de-
pending on the cylinder capacity, keeping it
switched off for a minimum of about 5 sec-
onds already saves more than the amount of
fuel necessary for restarting.
›››
Check tyre pressure
Foresight when driving
Always make sure the tyres are inflated to the
If you think ahead when driving, you will
need to brake less and thus accelerate less.
Take advantage of the inertia of the vehicle
whenever possible, with a gear engaged.
This takes advantage of the engine braking
effect, reducing wear on the brakes and
tyres. Emissions and fuel consumption will
drop to zero.
correct pressures page 335 to save fuel. If
›››
the pressure is below half bar, fuel consump-
tion may increase by 5%. Due to the greater
rolling resistance, under-inflation also in-
creases tyre wear and impairs handling.
The engine takes a long time to warm up
when it is idling. Mechanical wear and pollu-
tant emissions are also especially high during
this initial warm-up phase. It is therefore best
to drive off immediately after starting the en-
gine. Avoid running the engine at high
speed.
Do not use winter tyres all year round as
they increase fuel consumption by up to
10%.
Changing gear to save energy
Avoid carrying unnecessary loads
Regular maintenance
An effective way of saving is to change in ad-
vance to a higher gear.
Given that every kilo of extra weight will in-
crease the fuel consumption, it is advisable
make sure that no unnecessary loads are be-
ing transported.
Regular servicing helps in saving fuel even
before the engine is started. A well-serviced
engine gives you the benefit of improved
fuel efficiency as well as maximum reliability
and an enhanced resale value. A badly serv-
iced engine can consume up to 10% more
fuel than necessary.
●
Accelerate gradually and without reaching
the “kick-down” position.
Since the luggage rack increases the aero-
dynamic drag of the vehicle, you should re-
move it when not needed. At speeds of
100-120 km/h (62-75 mph), this will save
12% of fuel.
Avoid driving at high speed
Avoid travelling at your vehicle’s top speed,
whenever possible. Fuel consumption, emis-
sion of harmful gases and noise pollution
multiply as speed is increased. Driving at
moderate speeds will help to save fuel.
Avoid short journeys
The engine and catalytic converter need to
reach their optimal operating temperature
230
English 
