Diesel Mercedes for the U.S.
The turbocharged six-cylinder engine features full electronic fuel injection, which the company claims was considered technically impossible on a diesel until recently. The common-rail direct-injection (CDI) engine features a fuel-line loop that supplies constant, high fuel pressure (up to 23,000 psi) to each of the six-solenoid injector valves.
Diesels are notorious for producing more oxides of nitrogen and particulates than gasoline engines. However, precise electronic control of fuel delivery coupled with an oxidation catalyst lets the E320 CDI pass 45 state emission standards. The vehicle will meet those in all 50 states when low-sulfur diesel fuel comes to the U.S. in 2006, say Mercedes-Benz engineers.
The E320 CDI gets 27/37 mpg for city and highway driving, compared to the gasoline E320 numbers of 19/27. Also, the CDI is said to hit 0 to 60 mph in 6.8 sec, 0.3 of a second faster than the gasoline version.
