Operation Manual

Driving style
After starting the engine you
should drive away immediately and
slowly, avoiding high revs. Do not
warm up the engine at low or high
revs when the vehicle is stationary;
this causes the engine to warm
up more slowly, thereby increasing
fuel consumption, emissions and
mechanical component wear.
Avoid pointless actions such as
revving up when at traffic lights or
before stopping the engine. The latter
action, like double-declutching, is
unnecessary and causes increased
fuel consumption and pollution.
Gear selection: select a high gear
as soon as possible (taking into
account normal engine operation and
traffic conditions) without pushing
the engine to high revs during the
intermediate gears. Using low gears
at high revs to get lively acceleration
increases fuel consumption, harmful
emissions and engine wear.
Vehicle speed: fuel consumption
increases exponentially as the speed
of the vehicle increases. Keep your
speed moderate and as even as
possible, avoiding unnecessary
braking and acceleration, which
cause excessive fuel consumption
and increased emissions. Keeping a
safe distance from the vehicle in
front helps to maintain a steady
speed.
Acceleration: accelerating violently
severely affects consumption and
emissions. Acceleration should
be gradual and should not exceed
the maximum engine torque rate.
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts
do not allow the engine to reach
optimum operating temperature.
This results in a significant increase in
consumption levels (from +15 to +30%
on the urban cycle) and emissions.
Traffic and road
conditions
Rather high consumption levels are
linked to situations with heavy traffic, for
instance when travelling in queues
with frequent use of the lower gears or
in cities with many traffic lights. Winding
mountain roads and rough road
surfaces also adversely affect
consumption.
Stops in traffic
During prolonged hold-ups (e.g. level
crossings) the engine should be
switched off.
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STARTING AND DRIVING