Mercedes wants to know if Americans would embrace a 4-cylinder diesel delivering 44 mpg in a midsize luxury sedan.
Would American luxury buyers embrace a midsize Mercedes-Benz sedan delivering fuel economy better than most of today’s hybrids?
That’s the question the German automaker is trying to answer as it ponders whether to begin importing its E250 Bluetec, a high-mileage luxury car that European autowriters have taken to calling the “wonder diesel.”
“We’re asking whether (people) could imagine a 4-cylinder diesel E-Class here in the U.S.,” said Klaus Meier, Mercedes’ executive vice president of sales.
The automaker already plans to introduce a new Bluetec version of its E350, shortly after the launch of the gasoline-powered 2010 E-Class sedans and coupes, later this year. The E350, which will meet the toughest emissions standards in all 50 states, provides near-V-8 performance but V-6 fuel economy. The E250, would provide V-6 levels of horsepower and torque, but fuel economy Meier estimates at 44 mpg. That would meet or exceed the mileage of the best hybrid models in its segment, but still offer substantially better performance, according to the automaker.
A prototype of the 44 mpg E250 Bluetec debuts at the 2009 New York International Auto Show -- and could reach U.S. shores as early as 2011.
Like the rest of the luxury market, Mercedes is facing the challenge of meeting America’s increasingly stringent mileage rules, which will shortly jump from 27.5 to 30.2 mpg, and keep going up from there. It is expanding its diesel offerings and has just added its first hybrid-electric vehicle, the ML450, but it may need to push even further to have its entire fleet comply with the tougher regulations.
“We don’t want to have (to switch to) small cars,” stressed Meier, in a conversation with TheDetroitBureau.com. “We’re a luxury maker. We want great cars that operate in a responsible way.”
Putting the 4-cylinder diesel into the midsize E-Class, as shown at this year’s New York International Auto Show, is one option. But Meier added that, “Maybe we can use it in other cars before the E-Class,” such as the compact C-Class sedan.
There’s no clear date on when the German luxury marque might launch an E- or C-250, but insiders suggest that the high-mileage engine might appear in the U.S. market by sometime in calendar-year 2011, if Mercedes comes to believe there’s enough demand.