The environmetally-friendly new Actros has sipped its way to a place in the Guinness World Records™.

In a marathon, round-the-clock drive staged over seven days at the Nardo test track in southern Italy, the Actros was confirmed as the most fuel-efficient truck in its class.

A 40-tonne tractor and trailer combination clocked-up nearly 12,728km (7,908 miles), consuming 19.44 litres of diesel for every 100km covered – the equivalent of a remarkable 14.53mpg.

Powered by a 440hp BlueTec® Euro 5 engine, the standard-specification 4x2 Actros 1844 LS Long Distance model hauled 25 tonnes of payload under the watchful eyes of scrutineers from Guinness World Records™ and DEKRA, the German automotive inspection agency.

The test confirmed that as well as being kind to the operator’s wallet, new Actros is kind to the environment – CO2 emissions were also exceptionally low at just 20.5g per tonne/kilometre (t/km), significantly beneath levels currently being achieved by hybrid trucks that combine combustion and electric motors.