Luxury cars are known for having the perfect blend of performance and a good amount of creature comforts that can’t be found in ordinary sedans or even coupes. But it’s hard to find a luxury sports car that doesn’t burn a hole in your pocket due to its gas-guzzling nature.
But every once in a while, a car comes along that delivers the performance of a sports car, the luxurious feel of a luxury car, and an unusually good fuel economy rating for a car of its caliber. One such car is the Mercedes-Benz E320. The reason behind the great fuel economy exhibited by the E320 is its diesel engine.
Diesel engines may not seem perfect for a luxury due to their reputation for making too much noise and spewing noxious exhaust fumes, but thanks to Bluetec diesel engine technology developed by DaimlerChrysler, the diesel engine in your luxury car performs like a gasoline engine in terms of emissions and noise.
In Europe, diesel engines are already popular for their high power. Technological advances also allow automakers to reduce the amount of dangerous gases in engine exhaust. With the popularity of these engines in the European region, American car enthusiasts are also showing interest in diesel engines.
Nitrogen oxide and particulate emissions that in the past gave diesel engines a bad reputation are now reduced thanks to an oxidation catalytic converter and particulate filter. In addition to these two devices, the Bluetec system also integrates a NO2 trap and an SCR catalyst. Due to the integration of filters and catalytic converters, the engine must use only ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel. In fact, the diesel engine that comes with the E320 is so efficient and clean that its emissions are practically the same as those of a gasoline engine. Not only in its clean-burning fuel is it on par with gasoline engines, but also in noise, or lack thereof.
One of the advantages of using a diesel engine in a car is its fuel efficiency and it has been made more efficient by the electronically controlled high pressure common rail direct fuel injection system. This is evident in the high fuel consumption rating of 35 miles per gallon that vehicles using such can achieve.
Apart from that clear advantage, a diesel engine also provides much more torque than a gasoline engine. This incredible 388 pound-feet of rated torque is what it takes for good acceleration. The E320’s diesel engine can propel it to 60 miles per hour from a standstill in just 6.6 seconds. This figure is on par with many sports sedans now available on the market.
The diesel engine that comes with the E320 is a 3.0-liter V6 built from aluminum alloys, which makes the engine weigh considerably less. The engine can produce up to 208 horsepower. However, what stands out from the figures published by the diesel engine is its torque, whose maximum can be reached at 2400 revolutions per minute. The engine is mated to a seven-speed automatic transmission that facilitates smooth transfer of torque and power to the rear wheels. The amount of energy produced when you hit the throttle is so great that stopping dead would require high-performance brake components like those found in Active Brakes Direct. The speed that the E320 can achieve makes it an excellent car for driving on open highways where the true capacity of the engine and the wide range of components shine.