A 750-kilometre Audi A3 efficiency run, caffeine-deprived co-drivers, and a test to show that comfort doesn’t have to come at the cost of fuel economy.
I’ve done the northbound road trip to Malaysia more times than I care to admit, sometimes for the scenery, sometimes for the satay, and almost always with the silent mission to “beat the GPS estimate”.
But this particular trip was different. This Audi-led drive wasn’t about making good time. It was about making good kilometres, a fuel efficiency challenge stretching from Singapore to Ipoh, and looping back to Kuala Lumpur.
No gimmicks. Just one car, one tank, and a surprisingly competitive bunch of automotive journalists with too much pride and too little sleep.
Flag-Off at Dawn and the Battle of the A/C
We began, as all sensible efficiency drives do, at an ungodly 5am, flagged off at Shell Jalan Ahmad Ibrahim. My co-driver for this journey was James from Oneshift, armed with caffeine, caution, and the quiet hope that the air-conditioning would stay on.
Fortunately for him (and our friendship), I was determined to keep it on as well; low fan speed, Eco mode, windows up.
Our competitors? Far braver. Or madder. They have opted to go the entire way without A/C. Windows up. Cabin sealed. The car effectively became a convection oven with leather upholstery.
Major respect, though I’m fairly certain at least one member emerged from their car medium-rare afterwards.
We, on the other hand, kept things civilised. Tyres inflated to near bursting, trip computer reset, pep talk given.
We figured we needed our belongings for check-in, too, so no unnecessary luggage or cabin dumping was conducted. Just good, honest efficiency.
Meet the Machine
The car we were preparing to set off in was the Audi A3 1.5 TFSI. Showroom stock and untouched, save for a full tank of fuel. Its secret weapon was a refined mild hybrid system, a clever coasting mode, and an uncanny ability to sip fuel like a polite guest at a wedding tea ceremony.
From the get-go, the A3 impressed. Even without engaging the Efficiency mode, it was eager to slip into coasting, the revs dropping like a well-timed mic. Within the first hour, we were already seeing fuel figures north of 20km/litre.
Acceleration was measured. Braking, minimal. Speeds hovered around 70–80km/h, torturous in a country where 110km/h is legal and tempting. But in the pursuit of consumption glory, restraint is the real flex.
Snacks, Sun, and Surprises
To keep our spirits up, we turned to a predictable playlist of cheesy pop hits and suspiciously preserved snacks. James even rewarded himself with a Ramly burger, half for sustenance, half for morale. Stopping was rare; momentum was precious.
Even with the sun climbing and temperatures rising, the A3 soldiered on without complaint. Eco mode air-conditioning set at 26 degrees kept us cool enough, and more importantly, it didn’t seem to punish us fuel-wise. Quite the opposite, in fact. The further we went, the better our consumption got.
Credit where due, Audi’s mild hybrid system is leagues smoother than its predecessor. Engine stop-starts were barely perceptible, and noise levels stayed muted throughout.
Up North to Ipoh
The journey towards Kuala Lumpur was relatively smooth, but as soon as we hit the big capital of Malaysia, our efficiency took a hit thanks to traffic congestion. It was tempting to weave through traffic, but keeping our dainty little A3 behind larger vehicles was always going to be better for efficiency.
After tackling suburban sprawl, expressway monotony, and the barrage of impatient lorry drivers wondering why we were the slowest moving thing that morning, we approached Ipoh after almost 9 hours of driving, fatigued, famished, but proud. The GPS said we’d arrive early. It lied.
Turns out, when you’re trundling along well below the posted limit, that ETA shrinks faster than your enthusiasm in a jam. We rolled in with 15 minutes to spare.
Just enough time to marvel at the ingenious optimisations our rival team had done to their car; they taped their A3 to within an inch of its life in a bid to reduce drag.
The Plot Twist
Ah, but the journey wasn’t done. You see, this was a tag-team challenge. From Ipoh to St. Regis Kuala Lumpur, our teammates who first took the Audi A5 (used in a concurrent photography challenge) took over the A3, while we, blessedly, took over their air-conditioned lounge for photography duties.
Did our teammates stop for a break as scheduled? No. Rather, instead of heading straight to the pre-determined lunch spot, they instead opted to head straight for the final meeting point at the hotel, and doubled back for food in the A5 after we picked them up.
Why? Because why waste fuel when the competition’s this tight?
So, Who Won?
Let’s be real – our stock, weighted, and air-conditioned A3 was never going to win the other team, and they deserve every inch of victory for braving the sweltering heat in their makeshift aerodynamic sauna.
The question now is, how close were the two teams?
Here’s where it gets interesting. After more than 750 kilometres of driving with luggage, functioning air-conditioning, and two moderately sleep-deprived adults onboard, our A3 returned 26.689km/litre.
The winning team, in their minimalist, A/C-free chariot of sweat and sheer willpower? 27.645km/litre. That’s a difference of just under 1km/litre.
Was the heat worth it for the other team? Absolutely, they walked home with a stack of vouchers and smiles, and you’ve got to hand it to them for going through the“torture”.
But, for all the efforts to strip weight and endure tropical self-basting, we came within touching distance using… creature comforts, which proves an interesting point. Modern cars like the Audi A3 are absurdly efficient by default. You don’t need to turn your car into a wind tunnel or sacrifice sanity to go the distance.
The A3 was composed, capable, and criminally efficient, even under real-world, real-human conditions. It proved that range doesn’t have to come at the expense of ride, refinement, or the divine blessing that is air-conditioning.
Photo Credits: Al Han (@sgcarshooter)
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