June 26^th, 2000

New S400CDI boasts world-leading diesel dynamics

560 Nm at only 1700 rpm!
Mercedes-Benz underlines its dominance of diesel passenger car technology with the new S400 CDI, which is to be released in Europe next month.

The most powerful passenger car diesel in the world, the new engine is also the first V8 diesel under the bonnet of a Mercedes passenger car, and gives Mercedes-Benz the biggest range of diesel engines of all European car brands.

The performance spectrum of the CDI engines runs from 44 kW in the Mercedes-Benz A160 CDI to 184 kW in the new S400 CDI.

Diesel innovations plus proven CDI technology
The eight cylinder is the result of several years’ development, in which equal importance was attached to performance, torque, fuel consumption and environmental compatibility.

Mercedes engineers have succeeded in doing justice to each of these by combining common rail injection and four-valves-per-cylinder technology with the latest innovations such as bi-turbocharging, water-cooled intercooling, a new type of high-pressure pump and water-cooled exhaust gas recirculation with electrically operated intake-air throttle, to mention just a few of the highlights of this new eight-cylinder unit.

Ground-breaking attributes such as these make this V8 diesel engine a technology leader among compression-ignition passenger car units, and at the same a trend-setter for the on-going development of CDI engines by Mercedes-Benz.

Top fuel performer
The V8 engine of the S400 CDI is rated not only as the most powerful, but also as the most economical engine in its displacement and cylinder category.

A fuel consumption of just 9.6 litres per 100 km (NEDC overall consumption) enables it to cover the distance between Sydney and Melbourne, for example, without stopping to refuel. The exhaust emissions measured for the new V8 engine, moreover, are within the stringent exhaust limits of the European laws.

Thanks to its remarkable torque of 560 Newton metres, which is available from 1700 rpm and remains steady right up to 2600 rpm, the V8 engine has an astounding power development pattern: the sedan can spring from rest to 100 km/h in just 7.8 seconds and is capable of a maximum speed of 250 km/h.

The flexibility of the newly developed V8 is even more impressive: the S400 CDI requires a mere 7.7 seconds to accelerate from 60 to 120 km/h in third gear, making it 1.4 seconds faster than the S430 (which is powered by a V8 petrol engine delivering 205 kW).

Mercedes says there are currently no plans for right-hand drive production (although the E-class E270 CDI turbo-diesel is on sale here in Australia).