It has been revealed by Consumer Reports (CR) magazine that its tests have shown that the `47 miles per gallon (MPG)' claims of Ford Motor's two latest hybrid models - the new Fusion Hybrid and C-Max hybrid - are exaggerated.

According to CR, tests have revealed that the average MPG of both the new Ford hybrid models falls in the mid-to-high 30s range; while Ford has been claiming that the vehicles are capable of giving 47mpg in the city as well as on the highway.

Commenting on the findings related to Ford's inflated MPG claims for its newest Fusion Hybrid and C-Max hybrid models, CR's Jake Fisher said that the magazine's recently-completed "formal instrumented testing" for fuel economy has clearly shown that the average MPG for the two models was 39mpg and 37 mpg respectively.

With tests revealing that the average MPG of new Fusion Hybrid and C-Max hybrid is 17-21 percent less than that claimed by Ford, CR said that not only is the average MPG of the two new Ford hybrids notably lower than the manufacturer's claims, but the difference in their `claimed' and `actual' MPG is also the biggest ever to be ever found by the magazine.

Pointing to the Environmental Protection Agency's estimates for fuel economy, CR said that the new Fusion Hybrid and C-Max hybrid models have "the largest discrepancy between our overall mpg results and the estimates published by the EPA that we've seen among any current models."