2011 Mercedes-Benz S250 CDI: first 41 mpg car in the luxury segment

Mercedes-Benz revealed today the S250 CDI BlueEfficiency, and announced that this is the first 5 litres/100 km car in the luxury segment. Powered by a 2.2-liter four-cylinder CDI engine, the new car delivers an impressive 5.7 liters/100 km (41 mpg) as well as 149g of CO2 emissions. The small four-cylinder diesel engine mated to a 7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic transmission, delivers 204 hp( 150 kW) and a maximum torque of 500 Nm.

Still, the vehicle can accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 8.2 seconds and has a top speed of 240 km/h (150 mph). These performances are a result of two-stage turbocharging, which consists of a small high-pressure (HP) turbocharger and a large low-pressure (LP) turbocharger.
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knowitall1985 - 9/24/2010 10:34:54 AM

+1 Boost

Great if gas prices go up. How much?

knowitall1985 - 9/24/2010 10:36:41 AM

+1 Boost

Found it 95k wow! It will take a long time to make up that price on fuel savings.

Joe_Limon - 9/24/2010 10:44:41 AM

+2 Boost

compared to an equivalent luxury car?

Willis - 9/24/2010 12:37:23 PM

+2 Boost

The S class is a heavy car so this performance is quite impressive, even for a small diesel. On a side note, I did try an E220 CDI in Europe a few years back. That thing was a rocket, no joke. I'm guessing the E250 CDI engine in an S class will feel pretty quick to, especially considering that this is a new and modern engine compared to the '220 CDI I sampled.

I'm just wondering about one thing: isn't the S class due for a redesign soon? Perhaps the S250 CDI would have made more sense in the next generation model.

Terry989 - 9/24/2010 2:45:21 PM

+1 Boost

Small diesel work great in big heavy cars like this since their incredible torque outputs gets the cars moving quickly and make them seem faster than they are. While your average buyer sill focuses on the Horse Power of a car, torgue and how how that torgue is delivered in equally important.

Joe_Limon - 9/24/2010 3:23:14 PM

+1 Boost

Torque is over rated, if you gear a car to redline in first gear at say... 60mph it'll get there just as fast if it had a 200hp and 400ft-lbs or 200hp and 100ft-lbs. The higher torque car will sound like it took less effort to get there though...

MercBasher - 9/25/2010 12:26:48 AM

+3 Boost

Impressive numbers - but why not just buy an E Class diesel?

85bmw745i - 9/25/2010 10:15:55 PM

+1 Boost

I disagree Joe. While it is somewhat overrated, you would need torque to accelerate a car there with a first gear ratio tall enough to get you to 60 in first gear. Now if the engine with less torque had an insanely high redline you could increase the gear ratios effectively multiplying the torque faster. I.E. having a 9000 rpm redline and achieving 60 in first at about 8900 rpm would probably get there faster that a more torquey engine with a 5,000 rpm redline and achieving 60mph in first at about 4900 rpm because the gear ratios would be teller in the torqe car. This is the reason the BMW M5 loses off the line to the cadillac CTSV but quarter mile trap speeds are higher and after that it blows past the CTS and has a higher top speed (unlimmited it will break 200mph) since the redline is higher what torque the M5 has is better multiplied thanks to lower gear ratios. While is is down 50hp it is still a faster car overall.