If you take a gander at the EPA fuel economy figures for the 2022 Chevrolet Corvette, you may notice that the highway fuel economy rating has suddenly gotten worse. This isn’t because of some quirk of the new model; rather, the change comes as a result of Corvette buyers’ love of performance.
“The EPA fuel economy numbers are based on which package is most popular,” a GM spokesperson told Autoblog. “For 2021, Corvette Stingrays equipped with Z51 accounted for nearly 70 percent of Corvettes sold, because our customers are looking for the highest level of performance. Due to the success of the Z51 package, we will be reporting model year 2022 EPA fuel economy numbers based on the Z51-equipped Corvette Stingray’s results — 16 city, 24 highway, and 19 combined.”
That’s down from the 2021 ‘Vette’s estimate of 27 mpg highway. The difference in fuel economy comes from the Z51 model’s shorter drive ratio, which means that the engine has to spin faster to go the same speed, which is good for acceleration but less good for fuel consumption.
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On the other hand, the 2022 Corvette‘s city fuel economy has increased by one mpg over last year’s model. That is because of an update to the car.
“The 2022 Corvette Stingray shows a 1 mpg gain in the city even with Z51 included because all 2022 Corvettes feature an upgraded direct injection fuel system, improved engine calibration, and an enhanced Active Fuel Management range,” the GM spokesperson said.
Although the power output for the 2022 model doesn’t change, the new fuel injection system operates at a higher pressure now, helping emissions and providing greater stability at idle.
Apart from choosing the Z51 Performance Package, almost half of ‘Vette buyers are opting for the Convertible, with 42 percent going for the more expensive (by $7,500) open-top compared to 58 percent who choose the Coupe.
