The cargo space offered
by the trunk of a car is often not enough
, especially when you have to go on a trip for several days.
The solution many find is to use a roof rack to add extra space.
But this solution directly affects
fuel consumption
.
The models are designed in such a way that it allows them to advance generating the least possible air resistance.
But more often than not, the accessories added to the vehicle were not created with the overall design of the car or SUV in mind.
It is from there that these elements end up generating aerodynamic brakes or turbulence that influence fuel consumption.
The Kia Carnival with Roof Racks that they tested in the Car and Driver environment.
Photo: Car and Driver
Through a test carried out by colleagues at
Car and Driver
, in the United States, they were able to see how much fuel consumption increases using only the roof racks of the luggage racks.
Proven consumption increase
Within a long-term test that the specialized media was carrying out with a Kia Carnival, they noticed that initially the fuel consumption was especially high.
The version that was tested was equipped with a
3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine that delivers 290 horsepower
.
It comes together with an 8-speed automatic transmission that transmits power to the front axle.
The unit was equipped with transversal roof bars necessary to hold luggage racks or other elements to carry objects on the roof, such as bicycles or skis, for example.
It is an official element, offered by the Korean brand in its list of options.
That is, it is an accessory that is certified by the company.
The luggage racks were designed to be efficient, but they still influence consumption.
Photo: Car and Driver
Even though these items are designed to generate little drag, they still
greatly affect your ability to cut through the air
.
That increase in resistance rises exponentially as the speeds at which you travel increase.
In other words, the roof racks have a low impact on fuel consumption when driving in urban environments, where top speeds are rather low.
The change in efficiency
was instantly noticed when going out on the road
, according to what they say in the published report.
So they quickly decided to carry out a more precise test to certify that first sensation that the removal of the roof bars produced.
That's why they set out to do a consumption test on the road,
traveling at 120 km/h
(75 miles per hour), one of the limits applied on American highways.
Without the luggage racks the result was superior.
Photo: Car and Driver
The result was compelling: without the roof bars,
it was possible to gain one more kilometer for each liter of fuel
, which brought consumption on the road from 8.8 km/l to 9.9 km/l, an improvement of 12%.
It even improved the approved consumption declared in that market for this model, which is 9.2 km/l.
This improvement, which may seem minimal, is decisive when taking the autonomy that a full tank of fuel delivers.
That extra mile per liter gained without the roof cross bars nets you
60 more miles
, rounding out a range of 530 miles versus the 450 you got with the roof bars fitted.
That is why it is always better to use these elements every time they are used and remove them when they are not necessary.
The account of the cost of fuel in the medium and long term will make a difference.
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