2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 Bluetec @ Detroit 2011 – Press Release

Mercedes-Benz engine technology – a driving force in all areas

Mercedes-Benz has been a pioneer in engine technology for 125 years. The highspeed gasoline engine was, in the truest sense of the word, the “driving force” behind the invention of the automobile. The Daimler 8 hp “Phaeton”, unveiled in 1898, was the first road-going vehicle to feature a four-cylinder engine. In 1923, Benz launched the first diesel truck. Another groundbreaking Mercedes innovation was a diesel engine suitable for use in passenger cars, introduced in 1936 – in the world’s first series production diesel passenger car, the Mercedes- Benz 260 D.

In the years since, Mercedes-Benz has set a succession of further milestones in the development of the compression-ignition engine. A host of technical innovations, such as the turbocharged common rail diesel (CDI), have resulted in greater power and torque along with better fuel economy and reduced emissions. Today, Mercedes-Benz is present in all segments of the market with a range of models powered by smooth-running, torquey and highly efficient CDI engines which – in relation to their output – consume up to ten times less fuel than the diesel pioneer of 1936.