Proven premium oil brands. How to recognize them?

20 lutego 2025

Is it possible to distinguish premium oil brands from others? Yes – just take a look at the range of products available. Popular manufacturers offer only basic oils, usually intended for the most popular brands. Premium manufacturers such as TotalEnergies offer a full range of products, both for older models and those that meet the requirements of the latest cars entering the market.

In the oil industry, just like in the automotive industry, new solutions and trends appear practically every year. Oils have long ceased to lubricate, cool and clean the engine. They now reduce fuel consumption, improve exhaust gas composition, protect the engine against LSPI knock-firing and provide effective lubrication in the intermittent hybrid cycle. What's more, in the case of some engines, they are irreplaceable – the use of an older type of oil can lead to engine destruction.

Certificate for modernity

Oil-based novelties are usually introduced only by the largest manufacturers in the industry, and their quality and specifications are clearly confirmed. Each oil has viscosity and quality class markings, as well as approvals from engine manufacturers. They are a kind of certificate confirming that we are dealing with a technologically advanced product that meets strict requirements.

Latest viscosity standards

Viscosity standards are regulated by the classification developed by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). It divides oils based on viscosity grades achieved at specific temperatures, distinguishing 14 viscosity grades. The most popular are 10W-40, 5W-40 and 5W-30. The latest gasoline engines increasingly require the use of 0W-20 or even 0W-16 oils, which are generally not available in the range of cheaper oil brands. They provide better fluidity at low temperatures and thus fill the main oil line faster as soon as the engine is started. At high temperatures, 0W-20 oil offers less flow resistance than, for example, 10W-40 and thus saves fuel and improves engine efficiency and cooling. In the case of hybrid drives, where the engine is often started when there is a high demand for power, one of the most important factors is its instant lubrication. This can only be achieved by oils with low viscosities, such as 0W-20 or even 0W-16.

Latest quality standards

These standards are regulated by the American Petroleum Institute (API). They are expressed separately for gasoline and diesel engines. Over the years, the requirements have become increasingly strict. Probably everyone has come across API SJ (for gasoline engines) or API CE (for diesel) markings. The second letter of the designation is always important. The closer to the end of the alphabet, the better. Currently, the latest specification for gasoline engines is API SP. In the case of gasoline engines, SP stands for protection against LSPI, greater resistance to oil oxidation, wear protection of the timing chain, greater engine cleanliness, prevents the formation of high-temperature deposits, etc.

The second, equally popular quality classification is the ACEA (European Society of Automotive Engineers) classification. Designations such as A (for gasoline engines), B (for diesel engines) and C (for low-ash oils) are expanded by sequential digits. Currently, the latest standards are A7/B7 and C6 (from 2021).

The quality classification is also determined by the ILSAC (International Lubricants Standardization and Approval Committee) standards, which are less popular on our market. It is an American-Japanese organization that is based on the API classification, but also adds its classes in the range from GL1 to GL6.

The latest standard is ILSAC GF-6, which indicates fuel-saving properties, reducing the formation of high-temperature deposits, increased cleanliness of pistons, reducing the phenomenon of LSPI, as well as protecting the timing chain. ILSAC GF-6 is divided into two categories: GF-6A is an improved version of GF-5 with viscosity profiles of 0W or 5W, but not lower than 0W-20, and GF-6B (SAE 0W-16 and below).

Manufacturer approvals

The best indicator of the reputation of an oil manufacturer is meeting the specific requirements of the most modern engines, confirmed by appropriate approvals (also known as homologstion). There are really many of them, because each car manufacturer has its own criteria and approval/homologation criteria. For this reason, we will only provide examples of the approvals that distinguish selected, latest oils from the TotalEnergies range.

In the case of the entire Volkswagen family, the latest designs requires the 508.00 and 509.00 standards. For Mercedes – 229.5 and 229.52 (in the case of hybrids – 229.71 and 229.72). In BMW, one of the latest homologations is LL-17FE or LL-19FE, in Renault – the whole range of RN17 homologations (17, 17FE, 17RSA). In the Stellantis range, it can be assumed that the latest standards for Opel are Dexos 1 gen3 and OV 0401547A20, and for Citroën and Peugeot – B71 2312 and 2310. The latest standards in Fords are 950-A and 952-A1, and in Porsche – e.g. C20 for diesel engines or PC40 for gasoline engines.

Examples of state-of-the-art oils in the TotalEnergies range

Examples of TotalEnergies oils that meet the latest requirements are, for example, the entire 0W-20 oil family. The first example is the Quartz Ineo Xtra Dynamics 0W-20. It has a viscosity class of 0W-20 and the ACEA: C5 and API: SN-RC standards.

But that's not all. On the packaging you will find the so-called manufacturer's approvals. In this particular case, these are: BMW: LL-17 FE (1.5 L 3 cyl. TwinPower Turbo - special product), Aston Martin (5.2 V12 biturbo engine), FORD: WSS-M2C-952-A1 (level), Jaguar Land Rover: STJLR.03.5007

Another interesting example is the Quartz Ineo Xtra First 0W-20 oil. It has the same viscosity class as the one presented earlier and also meets the ACEA standard: C5, but has completely different approvals: PSA: B71 2010, FIAT: 9.55535-DM1 (level), OPEL: OV 040 1547-A20

The packaging or its appearance say little about the quality of the oil or the reputation of the manufacturer. Often, customers limit themselves to reading marketing descriptions on packaging regarding the use of the product. Fortunately, there are standardized classification systems for quality, viscosity and approvals/approvals of engine manufacturers. They indisputably determine what kind of oil we are dealing with and what reputation its manufacturer has. Unfortunately, a large number of manufacturers state approvals as "suitable for" or "meets the requirements", but these are not official approvals of manufacturers. This may mean that the product will not be suitable for a given engine, because it has not been tested by the engine manufacturer. Such tests cost money. Often only reputable brands can afford to carry out a full course of testing to obtain the appropriate approvals."

Andrzej Husiatyński, Head of the Technical Department, TotalEnergies Marketing Polska

About TotalEnergies Marketing Polska:
TotalEnergies Marketing Polska has been operating in Poland since 1992 and has an established position on the engine oil market. It offers products of two well-known brands TotalEnergies and Elf. Since 2008, TotalEnergies also offers bitumen products and is present in the market of industrial special fluids. The company has also been operating on the fuel sales market since 2009. In 2021, TotalEnergies opened the first car washes and launched a project to create a charging network for electric vehicles.

About the TotalEnergies Marketing Services:
TotalEnergies Marketing Services offers its professional and private customers a wide range of energy products and services - petroleum products, biofuels, charging and related services for electric vehicles, road and marine gas - to support their mobility and help them reduce their carbon footprint. Every day, over 8 million customers visit our 16,000 service stations around the world. Number four in the world in lubricants, we design and market high-performance products for the automotive, industrial and marine sectors. In order to best respond to the needs of our B2B customers, we deploy our sales force, our international logistics network and our diverse offer. We operate in 107 countries, where our 31,000 employees are close to all our customers.

About TotalEnergies:
TotalEnergies is a multi-energy company with a global reach that produces and sells energy: crude oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gases, renewable energy sources and electricity. More than 100,000 of our employees strive to make energy cheaper, cleaner, reliable and available to as many customers as possible. Operating in more than 130 countries, TotalEnergies puts sustainability in all its aspects at the heart of its projects and activities to contribute to people's well-being.

Contact TotalEnergies:
Bartosz Cyran | bartosz.cyran@proautomotive.pl | +48 662 454 679.

Legal Notice:
The terms „TotalEnergies”, „TotalEnergies Company” or „Company” in this document are used to refer to TotalEnergies SE and consolidated entities that are directly or indirectly controlled by TotalEnergies SE. Similarly, the words „we”, „us” and „our” may also be used to refer to these entities or their employees. Entities in which TotalEnergies SE directly or indirectly holds shares are separate legal entities. TotalEnergies SE is not responsible for the actions or omissions of these entities. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a range of economic data and assumptions made in the particular economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove inaccurate in the future and are subject to many risk factors. Neither TotalEnergies SE nor any of its subsidiaries undertakes to publicly update any information or forward-looking statements, objectives or trends contained herein, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information regarding risk factors that may affect the financial results or operations of TotalEnergies is contained in the most recent Registration Document, the French version of which has been filed by TotalEnergies SE with the French securities regulator Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) and in Form 20-F filed with US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)O TotalEnergies Marketing Polska