When it comes to boosting efficiency in petrol engines, Mercedes is playing catch-up. Premium rival Lexus already has hybrid cars, while BMW offers regenerative braking to improve fuel economy on several models.
But the three-pointed star is working hard to regain ground – and Auto Express has driven its latest development: a CLK 500 with ISG technology.
The initials stand for Integrated Starter/Generator, and in lay terms, the set-up is a stop-start system. A disc-shaped electric motor is added between the engine and automatic transmission, while a secondary battery is charged by regenerative braking and offers a power boost during hard acceleration. The main advantage is that this layout is smaller and lighter than a hybrid transmission.
For the driver, it means fuel economy is up 10 per cent from 24.8mpg to 27.3mpg, while CO2 output is estimated to drop by a similar proportion.
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