The Mercedes E250 Bluetec concept has been unveiled at the New York motor show as part of an offensive to win over the American market to clean diesel technology.
Powered by a 201bhp 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine mated to a seven-speed automatic gearbox, the E250’s nitrogen oxide emissions are reduced by the use of a urea solution that’s placed in the exhaust stream. The urea tank has a 25-litre capacity, meaning it only needs topping up at normal service intervals.
The car is said to be capable of 33.6mpg in town driving and 46.8mph on the motorway (using converted US mpg figures), but more crucially, it meets Bin 5 and EU6 emissions legislation. This means it would be 50-state legal in the US and meet European regulations not due to be enforced until 2014.
Although the E250 is only a concept car, there’s no doubting that Mercedes is already committed to putting the technology into production; the E350 Bluetec will go on sale in Europe this autumn, powered by a 208bhp V6 diesel with 398lbft of torque.
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Acura ZDX, BMW X6 M and X5 M, Jeep Grand Cherokee, GM and Segway, GMC Terrain, Honda's dog accessories, Kia Koup, Land Rover Discovery, Mazda CX-9, Mercedes' clean diesel concept, Mercedes E63 AMG, Mercedes ML450 hybrid, Mercedes S-class, Mercedes SLS, Mitsubishi Outlander GT Prototype, Nissan 370Z Roadster, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Scion iQ, Subaru Legacy, Subaru Outback, VW Golf GTI
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