Mercedes Introduces Smallest Engine in Luxury Class

Mercedes-Benz is going to put a four-cylinder engine in its top-of-the-line model for the first time in its 60-year history. The model competes with BMW and Audi for the "green" luxury driver. Mercedes is the first global automaker to take such a surprising initiative.

To meet emissions standards and win environmentally conscious customers, premium manufacturers are showing off more environmentally friendly vehicles. BMW is investing heavily in fuel-saving technology, while Mercedes financed its "green" development centre with 1 billion euros ($1.4 billion) this year, almost double the amount of last year.

The Mercedes S250 CDI will be delivered to dealerships at the beginning of 2011 with pricing in the vicinity of the 65,000 euros (about US $90,000) mark. The two-ton car has a 2.2-liter four cylinder diesel engine outputting a maximum power of 204 hp and maximum torque of 500 Nm available as low as 1600 rpm. This immense amount of torque, equal to that of a six-cylinder diesel engine, at such low engine speeds is a result of two-stage turbocharging.

With idle stop technology as standard, the S 250 CDI has a fuel consumption of 5.7 liters per 100 km (41 mpg US) and CO2 emissions as low as 149 g/km, making it the first luxury saloon to run on under 6 liters of fuel per 100 km and the first in its class to emit less than 150 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

“Green luxury is feasible,” said Verena Mueller, a Mercedes spokeswoman. “We expect to attract environmentally conscious customers who are seeking the lowest possible CO2 emissions. Besides private customers, that could of course also be fleet buyers.”