The Benz Trifecta: Bluetec, Hybrid and DiesOtto

The world's premium car makers are rushing headlong towards a greener future -- and Mercedes-Benz plans on taking that lead from Lexus.

Lexus has already left its stamp on hybrid-drive technology and BMW is doing some very impressive work with hydrogen combustion. Now, Mercedes-Benz offers it's own corporate 'take' on the motor cars of the future.

Stuttgart is promoting cleaner running cars by embracing ultra-clean 'Bluetec' diesel engines, the 'DiesOtto' system, fuel cell cars and 'conventional' hybrid-drive systems.

The company's F 700 model is a hybrid-drive concept developed for research purposes -- it's pictured with other cars in the range, but is mostly concealed by a shroud -- and Benz claims that, fitted with the DiesOtto engine as it is, the car will achieve small-car levels of fuel consumption in a large-car package.

In addition to the F 700 which will be revealed in Frankfurt, Mercedes-Benz will launch seven new hybrids across five model ranges and eight Bluetec diesel models.

Among those are the ML 450 Hybrid SUV, the S 300 Bluetec Hybrid and the smart fortwo mhd (Micro Hybrid Drive).

The M-Class hybrid will not go on sale until 2009, but will combine a petrol engine with electric drive in a two-mode system. Together, the two power units develop 250kW of power and 480Nm of torque with a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of just 7.7lt/100km and CO2 emissions of 185g/km.

The S 300 Bluetec Hybrid integrates a four-cylinder diesel engine with an electric hybrid-drive module to produce 165kW of power and 560Nm of torque for fuel use of just 5.4lt/100km and CO2 emissions of 142g/km.

That's about 30 per cent less than the best CO2 emissions figure of any current production S-Class model, yet the torque figure of the S 300 Bluetec Hybrid is more than enough for a car in this segment.

One step beyond this achievement, the F 700 research vehicle has already been tested for fuel consumption and economy. With its unique 'DiesOtto' engine in a hybrid-drive set-up, the F 700 has achieved a combined cycle fuel consumption figure of 5.3lt/100km and 127g/km. Benz equates this sort of result to that of a small diesel-engined car, but the F 700 is at least S-Class size.

Dr. Thomas Weber from the company's board of management for research and development forthrightly described the F 700's fuel consumption as "the lowest petrol consumption figures of a large luxury saloon in the history of the motor car."

The smart model is a three-cylinder petrol/electric hybrid which will actually go on sale in October 2007, alongside the current "CO2 champion" -- the smart fortwo cdi.

Producing CO2 emissions of just 78g/km, the fortwo mhd sneaks in under the cdi's 88g/km figure to win the gong for new "CO2 champion". The new model achieves this figure in part through the use of an auto stop/start facility which cuts out the petrol engine when it's not required.

'Bluetec' diesels have already been launched in the USA -- in the guise of the E 320 Bluetec -- and following their release at the Frankfurt motor show the clean diesel engines will be introduced to the European market also.

The first such model to be launched will be the E 300 Bluetec, which is a diesel car that can comply with the Euro V emissions standard (which is much easier for petrol engines than diesels).

Next year, Benz will also launch the same drivetrain systems in their SUV and cross-over R-, M- and GL-Class models.

Benz will also show Bluetec and Bluetec hybrid versions of the new C-Class range and these are definitely going into production for an unspecified future release date.

For the Australian market, Benz will import the new cleaner models, but they're still some way off yet. The company does advise that Australia is an important market these new models will appeal to the growing niche demographic of environmentally sensitive consumers.

Future plans for the marque include customised hybrid solutions and fuel cell cars which will enter production from 2010.