Mercedes details all-new 2.0-litre diesel engine

With the reveal of the all-new E-class in January, Mercedes also announced an all-new diesel engine under the hood of the E220d. The new diesel engine, a 2.0-litre four cylinder unit, is the first all-aluminium diesel from the German automaker and is set to replace the current 2.1-litre four-cylinder unit seen in most of the models from Mercedes.

Codenamed OM654, the new diesel is claimed to be 14 percent more efficient than its predecessor and lighter by around 30kg. It is now substantially more powerful, developing 192bhp as against the 2.1-litre’s 168bhp. Power is channelled to the wheels via the company’s new nine-speed automatic gearbox.

The new engine benefits from the company’s fourth-gen common rail injection technology along with Nanoslide coating on the pistons and cylinders to reduce friction and wear.

Mercedes claims that the new E220d is capable of going from 0-100kph in 7.3 seconds and can achieve a  top speed of 240kph.

The new diesel is set to be part of an all-new modular family of engines that will make their way into Mercedes' entire model range. The new units will be offered in various states of tunes in both longitudinal and transverse layouts and will be available as front-wheel, rear-wheel and all-wheel drive.

Mercedes says that the new diesel engine has been engineered to meet future emission legislations in international markets with exhaust gas recirculation technology. The new engine is also AdBlue-compatible. AdBlue technology uses a special mix of urea and de-ionized water to reduce emissions. The mixture is injected into the car’s exhaust gasses as a post-combustion process.

In India, Mercedes currently uses a locally manufactured 2.1-litre diesel engine supplied by Force Motors in various states of tunes on most of its diesel sedans and hatchbacks currently on sale. However, it remains to be seen if the new 2.0-litre diesel unit will be introduced here.