Mercedes diesel
Time was not so long ago that diesel-powered cars were marketed primarily for their fuel economy superiority over gas-powered cars.
Well, times have clearly changed, since here's Mercedes-Benz saying that ''diesel direct-injection engines are far superior to comparable gasoline and hybrid engines in terms of driving performance and fuel efficiency under real-life driving conditions.''
This is now of particular interest to Canadians looking for a luxury sedan, since the German firm's hottest new diesel engine will be powering the E 320 CDI when it arrives in dealerships this April.
Mercedes-Benz Canada has set no prices for the E 320 CDI, which will ''round out the model program of the successful E-Class,'' but the company promises it will be a ''powerful yet economic sedan'' and have ''good sales opportunities.''
The engine's key features will be six cylinders, a turbocharger, charge-air cooling and direct-injection, technologies which the Stuttgart-based firm has been using or developing for years.
''No other company in the world has as long a history of manufacturing diesel engines for passenger cars as Mercedes-Benz,'' says JoAnne Caza, director of marketing for Mercedes-Benz Canada, ''and the brand has made significant innovative improvements in this drive technology over the years.''
The diesel direct-injection engine used in the E 320 CDI is part of the second generation of common-rail diesel power plants, Caza explains. ''As a result, it offers increased torque, more power, lower fuel consumption, exemplary emission totals and a considerable increase in comfort.
Thanks to its ignition pressure of 155 bars, Caza says, ''an optimal charge-exchange process in the cylinders and the use of VNT turbochargers with electrically adjustable guide blades, the six-cylinder engine offers outstanding torque and elasticity at lower rpm levels.''
Even at 1000 rpm, she says, 184 lb.-ft. of torque is available, and at 1400 rpm the engine delivers 310 lb.-ft. to the crankshaft, which is 85 percent of the peak torque. That's impressive for urban driving, but if you get the engine up to 1800 rpm you get to the maximum torque level of 369 lb.-ft., which is stays in play until 2600 rpm.
''This torque can really be felt when the car accelerates or puts on a spurt.'' Caza says, allowing the E 320 CDI to go from zero to 100 km/h in 7.7 seconds, which is pretty good for a car of this type and size.