"Four liters" - that sounds like the consumption value of a small car. Recently, however, business limousines have also been decorated with the small number. Now it is already undercut.
The new is said to be just 3,9 liters Mercedes Consume the E-Class with the most economical four-cylinder diesel. Converted into CO2 emissions, this corresponds to an emission of 102 grams per kilometer. And that with at least 143 kW / 194 hp and a torque of 400 Nm. Of course - these are theoretical laboratory values that have only a little to do with consumption in real road traffic. But even if it ends up being five, six or more liters - that's little for a prestigious sedan or a spacious station wagon.
When the predecessor of the new E-Class came onto the market in 2009, the most frugal diesel according to the standard still required 5,3 liters and emitted 139 grams of CO2. The efficiency gain in the newly designed engine of the upcoming E-Class is made possible by numerous detailed improvements; Among other things, thanks to the new all-aluminum construction and newly designed steel pistons with so-called stepped recesses, which are said to have a particularly favorable effect on the course of the combustion.
However, the E-Class is not the only large sedan on an efficiency course. Jaguar has also trimmed its competitor model XF for economy, indicating a standard consumption of 120 liters for the entry-level diesel with a displacement of two liters and 163 kW / 3,9 hp. The British have also invested a lot of money in a new four-cylinder generation, which, in addition to the new aluminum bodies, are supposed to ensure better CO2 values in the vehicle fleet. BMW had already fundamentally renewed the four-cylinder family in the 5 Series in 2014 and at that time set a milestone with 4,3 liters of standard consumption at 140 kW / 190 hp. A short time later, the Audi A6 Ultra (110 kW / 150 PS) with 4,2 liters entered similar spheres. When the new 5 Series and shortly afterwards the A6 are introduced at the end of this year, the two Bavarian carmakers should have enough ambition to push their models below the four-liter mark.
Because such ambition pays off. Because from 2020 there will be a strict CO2 limit of 95 grams per kilometer - which corresponds to the consumption of 3,6 liters of diesel. Not every manufacturer's vehicle has to stay below the limit, but the average value of the fleet sold does. Popular business limousines, which are profitable for manufacturers, could cause problems with excessive emissions. Then there are fines.
In addition to the legal rules, companies' requirements for the consumption of their company cars also put pressure on consumption. There are CO2 upper limits in quite a few commercial fleets, which business limousines could quickly catapult out of the league of vehicles that can be ordered by employees. The E-Class, XF and Co. cannot afford this - in the upper middle class, over 80 percent of new registrations are for commercial customers.
