Driver sues Mitsubishi for $40,000 after his brand new Triton ute guzzled more fuel than advertised - and WINS Zelko Begovic bought his 2016 Triton GLS DID Auto DC-PU from Berwick in 2017 He kept track of vehicles fuel consumption between January 2017 and May 2018 Tribunal ordered the car dealer to pay Mr Begovic $39,500 over car's sticker By Sahar Mourad For Daily Mail Australia Published: 14:14 BST, 27 June 2019 | Updated: 14:14 BST, 27 June 2019 Viewcomments A driver has successfully sued Mitsubishi for a whopping $40,000 after his brand new ute was guzzling more fuel than advertised. Zelko Begovic was looking for a car with low fuel consumption when he purchased a 2016 Triton GLS DID Auto DC-PU from Berwick Mitsubishi, in Melbourne, in 2017. The fuel consumption sticker read 9 litres per 100 kilometres when driving in the city, 6.8 litres on country roads, and 7.6 litres per 100 kilometres for a 'combined test'. 'Actual fuel consumption and CO2 emissions depend on factors such as traffic conditions, vehicle condition and how you drive,' a disclaimer on the sticker said. Zelko Begovic was looking for a car that consumed less fuel when he purchased a 2016 Triton GLS DID Auto DC-PU from Berwick Mitsubishi (stock) Mr Begovic then took his car to the dealership three times in 2017 and to a separate dealership in 2018 where no fault was found (stock) The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) ordered the car dealer to pay Mr Begovic $39,500 over the car's fuel stick which made 'unusual and excessive claims' about it's consumption, Fairfax reported. Between January 2017 and May 2018, Mr Begovic kept record of his fuel consumption which showed more than it was advertised. Mr Begovic then took his car to the dealership three times in 2017 and to a separate dealership in 2018 where no fault was found. Senior tribunal member Leneen Forde agreed with evidence from engineering director Andrea Winkelmann from independent research company ABMARC who found Mr Begovic's car was using 26.7 per cent more fuel than it claimed. Mitsubishi argued against Ms Winkelmann's report saying the vehicle was not tested under their required regulations, the publication reported. The tribunal rejected the car dealership's argument and found both 'the dealer and manufacturer engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct'. Mitsubishi Motors Australia 'strongly disagree' with the findings and said the tribunal took into account different testing methods Mitsubishi Motors Australia 'strongly disagree' with the findings and said the tribunal took into account different testing methods. 'The testing used different standards to achieve a result, including vehicle load, fuel quality standard and the tests were outside laboratory conditions as they utilised portable testing equipment,' the statement read. They also claimed Mr Begovic modified his vehicle from the factory standard which could lead to an increase in fuel consumption. Mitsubishi is appealing the decision in the Supreme Court. Share or comment on this article: All rights reserved for this news site dailymail and under his responsibility