Mercedes-Benz will be unveiling its highly environmentally compatible BLUETEC technology in combination with a consumption-optimised four-cylinder engine for the first time at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. In terms of ensuring compliance with the even stricter EURO 6 emission standard, applicable to all new vehicles Europe-wide from 2015, the Mercedes-Benz Vision C 220 BLUETEC shows the way ahead.
Boasting an output of 125 kW (170 hp) and a peak torque of 400 Nm, the Vision C 220 BLUETEC consumes 5.5 litres of diesel per hundred kilometres. With the Vision C 220 BLUETEC, Mercedes-Benz is providing a taste of things to come as part of its BLUETEC initiative which was launched in the US last autumn.
According to Mercedes-Benz, 95 percent of its C-Class buyers prefer an automatic transmission. Because so few Americans going for the three-pedal models, you would naturally assume that Stuttgart would save some money and discontinue the manual gearbox option all together, but they won’t even think of it. BMW makes the rules in the entry-luxury sport sedan class. The 3 Series is far and away the top seller, and about a third of those Bimmer buyers choose a manual. That means everyone else better offer one, too.
The Mercedes G-Class is one of the most enduring models from Mercedes-Benz. It was first introduced in 1979, the G hardly looks different than the model that debuted 28 years ago. It has been given many enhancements, and Mercedes has just announced another slew of updates that will keep this original SUV relatively “fresh” for even longer.