£37,985 Audi A6 3.0 TDI quattro S-line
Engine: 24v 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel, 2967cc
Maximum power: 237bhp @4400-4700rpm
Maximum torque: 500Nm @1500-3000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual, AWD
Weight: 1760kg
0-60: 6.6 seconds
Top speed: 155mph (electronically limited)

Average fuel economy: 42.2mpg
Carbon dioxide emissions: 179g/km

£42,605 BMW 535d M Sport
Engine: 24v 3.0-litre I6 twin-turbodiesel, 2993cc
Maximum power: 286bhp @4400rpm
Maximum torque: 580Nm @1750-2250rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual, RWD
Weight: 1735kg
0-60: 6.4 seconds
Top speed: 155mph (electronically limited)

Average fuel economy: 42.2mpg
Carbon dioxide emissions: 178g/km

£43,455 Jaguar XF Diesel S Portfolio
Engine: 24-valve 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbodiesel, 2993cc
Maximum power: 275bhp @4000rpm
Maximum torque: 600Nm @2000rpm
Transmission: JaguarDrive 6-speed automatic with paddleshift, RWD
Weight: 1820kg
0-60: 5.9 seconds
Top speed: 155mph (electronically limited)

Average fuel economy: 42mpg
Carbon dioxide emissions: 179g/km

(couldn’t find any decent pictures of the E350 CDI – but it looks identical to this E500 Sport)

£35,970 Mercedes E350 CDI Sport
Engine: 24v 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel, 1987cc
Maximum power: 231bhp @3800rpm
Maximum torque: 540Nm @1600-2400rpm
Transmission: 7G-Tronic 7-speed automatic,
Weight: 1825kg
0-60: 6.9
Top speed: 155 (electronically limited)

Average fuel economy: 40.9mpg
Carbon dioxide emissions: 186g/km

For: Solid construction, fuel economy, spacious, comfortable accommodation

Against: Fussy styling, lack of a sixth auto gear, occasionally intrusive engine noise

Mercedes-Benz says this new car is its toughest E-class yet. Which is quite a claim, given that Mercedes’ executive saloon can trace its direct predecessors (if not the ‘E’ nomenclature) right back to 1947 and that the lineage has provided some of the world’s most trustworthy and durable vehicles.

More than 10 million executive saloons from this family have been sold, and many still have an enthusiastic following. There was a time when Mercedes’ advertising blurb claimed its cars were engineered like no other, and in the case of vehicles like the W124 it was probably true.

Those are the days and that is the image that Mercedes would like to evoke with this latest incarnation of the E-class. Keen to increase its share of the executive saloon market, Mercedes claims to have cut prices by five per cent and bolstered the equipment.

Ninety per cent of E-classes sold in the UK are powered by diesel engines, so our test car is too. It’s a 250 CDI, featuring a four-cylinder diesel engine, mated to an automatic gearbox and in SE trim.

VERDICT:

Full Story: Autocar – Mercedes E-class E250 CDI SE

M

Due in the middle of 2011, the next-gen ML is still largely a matter of speculation. Spy shots of an early prototype reveal a smaller body than the current ML, though the wheelbase appears unchanged.

A few reports have revealed that a diesel-electric hybrid M-Class is in the works, although a petrol-electric hybrid like that shown in the 2007 concept ML450 hybridis already expected to arrive later this year. A plug-in variant of the ML hybrid is even possible, featuring an 80hp (60kW) electric motor paired with a twin-turbocharged and direct-injected 3.5L V6 and capable of travelling up to 18mi (30kW) on electric power alone is also thought to be in the works.

That plug-in hybrid system will draw on elements from the other hybrid programs within Mercedes, including the S400 powertrain. But other elements, including parts and underpinnings, will be shared more closely across the R-Class successor and G-Class vehicles to help achieve economies of scale while still maintaining separate identities. The chassis underpinning the new SUV is also the same design found in the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, one of the lasting legacies from the now defunct DaimlerChrysler.

The ML’s dominant position as the consumer 4×4 of choice within Mercedes’ lineup won’t change, though the focus will increasingly be on efficiency rather than performance. Accordingly, European models will likely get a 2.2L four-cylinder diesel engine rated at 204hp (152kW). A V6 diesel rated at 225hp (168kW) and a 333hp (248kW) V6 petrol engine is also thought to be in the plans. The V8 engine will gain direct-injection and twin-turbochargers for the AMG model, which is expected to deliver at least 570hp (425kW).

Source: Auto Motor and Sport

BMW to Debut New 3.0-liter Twin Turbo Diesel with 306HP on 735d

BMW has confirmed the development of a new and more powerful version of its acclaimed 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged straight-six diesel engine. The new 3.0-litre TwinPower Turbo diesel unit that churns out a maximum output of 306 horsepower at 4,400 rpm with a peak torque of 600 Nm or 442 lb-ft at just 1,500 rpm, will replace the current 3.0-liter inline-six diesel in the 735d, 335d, X5 35d etc that produces 286HP at 4,400 rpm and 580Nm or 428 lb-ft at 1,750 rpm.

The Bavarian automaker supports that while the new engine is more powerful than its predecessor, at the same time it offers some 4 percent lower fuel consumption and CO2 emissions – not bad. BMW said that the 3.0-litre TwinPower Turbo diesel will make its premiere on the 735d later on this year with other models following soon after.

[SOurce: CarScoop/Autoblog.nl]

Highlights

• Based on Q7 V12 TDI
• 412 kW (560 hp)
• 1,200 Nm of torque @ 3,750 rpm
• 0-100 km/h in 5.3 s
• Top speed of 258 km/h

Press release