The ASA has upheld a complaint against the Volkswagen Group for claiming a fuel efficiency for one of its cars of 68.9 mpg on the "combined cycle".
The combined cycle - as many or most consumers will know - is the average of two specific standardised tests set by European legislation for an urban cycle and an extra-urban cycle. The purpose of setting the tests so precisely is to allow like-for-like comparison between the various offerings of different car manufacturers.
However, the ASA ruled that it was unlikely to be clear to the average consumer that results based on these standardised tests were not necessarily representative of what the consumer might achieve in real-life driving conditions.
In future such advertisements should make clear that the quoted figures should be used as a guide for comparative purposes but that they may not reflect real driving results.
http://www.asa.org.uk/Rulings/Adjudications/2013/3/Volkswagen-Group-UK-Ltd/SHP_ADJ_210019.aspx
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