Mercedes-Benz to debut new, all-aluminium, diesel engine for E-Class

Mercedes-Benz is set to debut its first all-aluminium, four-cylinder diesel OM 654 engine for the new E-Class E 220d in mid-2016 in Europe. The German carmaker claims the new engine delivers around 13 percent lower fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions along with a further increase in output (143 kW instead of 125 kW).

Prof Dr Thomas Weber, member of the Daimler Board of Management with responsibility for group research and head of Mercedes-Benz Cars development, said, "The new family of engines embodies over 80 years of Mercedes-Benz diesel know-how. The new premium diesels are more efficient and powerful, lighter and more compact – and they are designed to meet all future global emissions standards. In our opinion, the diesel engine is indispensable in trucks and cars if we want to further reduce the CO₂ emissions from traffic."

The carmaker also stated, “In the two decades since 1995, the average consumption of the passenger car fleet has fallen by almost half from 9.2 l/100 km (230 g CO₂ /km) to 5.0 l/100 km (125 g CO₂/km). Already today, Mercedes-Benz Cars has 68 models that emit less than 120 g/km – and 108 models with the efficiency label A+ or A.”

The modular family of engines will find broad application across the entire range of Mercedes-Benz cars and vans. There are plans for several output variants as well as longitudinal and transverse installation in vehicles with front-, rear- and all-wheel drive.

Mercedes-Benz says another objective behind the new generation of engines was to reduce the number of variants. The engine's compact dimensions allow more flexibility in adapting to different vehicle models. The interfaces between drive unit and vehicle have been standardised across all model series. All the elements of the exhaust after-treatment system are now configured directly on the engine itself and no longer on the vehicle.