LUXURY CLASS: The New E320 CDI: Mercedes Luxury goes Farther and Cleaner
Gretha Gudmundsso
Auto Age USA
Truly, I’m an advocate for the aggressive development of diesel technology as it is the world’s most efficient internal combustion engine. Current and notable advancements of diesel prove it’s a part of the solution in the petroleum crisis and environmental concerns. Continuous improvements in diesel technology have been a success story that has gone unnoticed. After 70 years of continuous change in the industry- a far cry from the first diesel passenger car in 1936- a new paradigm emerges for the 21st century. Mercedes-Benz introduces the new standard for clean diesel on an exquisite sedan: the E320 CDI.
The electronic injection provides a more highly controlled injection of fuel to achieve more power, while producing lower exhaust emissions with quieter and less costly operation. Genius.
When Mercedes -Benz presented the world’s first diesel engine with electronic injection in 1997, virtually all diesels used mechanical fuel injection. Previous mechanical controls on diesel engines grew more complex as engineers addressed increasingly stringent exhaust emissions regulations. But mechanical systems were slow in reacting and not nearly as accurate as electronic systems. Until recently, it wasn’t considered technically possible to build an electronic injector that could deal with the high fuel pressure required to penetrate the highly compressed air of a diesel combustion chamber. In spite of its high fuel pressure, the engine-driven CDI fuel pump requires less than 20 percent of the previous torque needed to turn a mechanical pump- and the new CDI pump maintains constant pressure imposing less stress and wear on the pump drive.
The new 3.2 liter in-line six-cylinder diesel engine has four valves per cylinder, dual overhead camshafts and centrally located electronic fuel injectors. Each injector is positioned in the aluminum cylinder head.
Like any other diesel the new E320 CDI gets you at least 30 percent better fuel mileage than a comparable gasoline powered car. With 27 mpg in the city and 37 mpg on the highway, you can drive it for more than 700 miles on a single tank of gas. Under acceleration, the E320 CDI responds in an excellent manner achieving 0 to 60 in approximately 6 seconds. It also offers a full array of safety technology, including ABS anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist. The latest and most sophisticated in safety technology includes adaptive restraint systems using eight air bags with adaptive dual-stage and measured impact sensors determine the correct inflation rate. New crash sensors also help determine the correct activation of seat belt tensioners and belt force limiters.
The Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI sedan has exceeded sales expectations by more than 38 percent with 4,158 units sold in only 7 months, successfully changing U.S. consumer’s outdated perceptions about diesel power trains
