There's more than just extra power to talk about, Caza says, since ''another striking feature is the strides made in fuel consumption achieved by the reworked high-tech power plant. With a full tank (80 liters), the E 320 CDI can travel significantly more than 1,000 kilometers.''
Mercedes even claims to have made advances in one of the remaining problems with a diesel -- the tell-tale chatter of the engine -- by using common-rail technology.
''They developed a double pilot injection,'' Caza says. ''Just a few milliseconds before the actual fuel injection occurs, small amounts of diesel fuel are shot into the cylinder at two very close intervals.''
This fuel ignites and pre-heats the combustion chamber and this creates better conditions for the main injection process, Caza explains. ''The fuel ignites more quickly in the pre-heated cylinder and the pressure and temperature no longer increase as suddenly as they do in engines without pilot injection. This helps reduce the sound produced by combustion.''
But even the mighty techno-wizards at Mercedes-Benz can do much about the other big problem with diesels -- the availability of pumping stations and the fact that you often have to share them with large trucks in a downscale situation.
That of course could change if more companies bring in diesel-powered vehicles and the demand for more and better pumps increases, but that's a long way off.
