Time for standardisation on kerbweight figures.

[otherclive]

I have been looking at the new Forester diesel (good off road videos on you tube)and contacted Subaru Technical Services on how they define kerbweight. For the new Forester kerweight in the brochure is the car ex works. So it will have minimal fuel and no driver loads. The fuel and driver are accounted for in the payload figures. All very logical, if only all manufacturers did the same as Subaru then life would be simpler. Sugestions such as weigh the car are not that useful when you have spent £20k and got a car that is too light. Therefor adding fuel and driver weights to the Forester puts it into a category for some reasonable size vans. I guess the same can be said for the Legacy too.

Other Clive

 

[Lutz]

Actually, there is no legally binding definition of kerbweight. What kerbweight included or left out was only regulated by convention but manufacturers were not required observe the standard. To overcome this shortcoming, kerbweight was replaced by MIRO (Mass in Running Order), the contents of which are clearly defined in an EU Directive (at least for motor vehicles, but not for caravans). This definition includes a 90% full fuel tank and a 75kg allowance for the driver and sundry items.

Nevertheless, it should be appreciated that kerbweight (or MIRO) is specific to each vehicle and any data published in brochures, web sites, etc. can be for guidance only. This is especially true if only one figure is given for the model and not a range.