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Sometimes the logic of an argument is so strong it blasts prejudice into oblivion.
I’ve always doubted the value of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) as a fuel, what with the conversion costs and extra tank which eats up boot space.
But an offer from Proton is impossible to find fault with.
It’s compact family model, the Gen-2, now comes with a dual-fuel system that automatically switches between petrol and LPG.
That’s nothing new in the world of motoring, but the fact Proton’s ecoLogic costs the same as the petrol-only model most definitely is.
Most manufacturers charge at least £1,500.
What’s more, the gas tank is in the spare wheel well with a canister of tyre-repair foam supplied for emergencies so no loss of luggage space.
But, you say, what’s the advantage of LPG?
Well it’s ‘greener’ than petrol so the annual road fund tax is lower.
It also costs less than 70p per litre.
Yes, the mpg drops a little but Proton reckons a driver covering 10,000 miles each year could save around £500.
I’ve always been led to believe that LPG didn’t deliver the same driving performance as petrol but a spin in a Gen-2 ecoLogic from David Williams at Highweek Garage, Newton Abbot, dispelled the myth in an instant.
It also bore witness to the fact that the Proton’s chassis is tuned by Lotus with the tidy handling you’d hope for with Norfolk’s finest on the job.
Yes, but is LPG available everywhere?
The answer is pretty much yes. However, the beauty of dual-fuel is that with two tanks and the car seamlessly switching from petrol to LPG, filling up will never be a problem wherever you are.
Proton offers the ecoLogic option on both the Gen-2 hatch and saloon, manual and automatic, with on the road prices between £9,995 to £11,795.
The £11,795 GSX I drove also comes with free leather which is usually a £1,000 option.
As a current TV ad might have us believe, it’s LPGenius.
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