mercedes benz e class 101
mercedes benz e class 016
mercedes benz e class 005
mercedes benz e class 001 8vwx
mercedes benz e class 100
Bruce Newton15 Aug 2020
NEWS

Is diesel done in the Mercedes-Benz E-Class?

Mild-hybrid turbo-petrol tech set for November update

Those pastoralists and country doctors traditionally associated with the diesel Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan might be electrifying when the facelift arrives in Australia in November.

There is a decent chance diesel power might drop out of the E-Class sedan line-up for the first time since 1997* when the W213 update lobs.

Mild-hybrid tech is tipped to be added to both the four- and six-cylinder versions of the (non-AMG) E-Class sedan and that points to a potential end of the road for diesel engines here.

Mercedes-Benz first revealed the E-Class update back in March and provided more details this week as the car started rolling out in Europe.

Two turbo-diesel E-Class sedans are offered in Australia currently; the four-cylinder 2.0-litre E 220d and the E 350d inline-six.

mercedes benz e class 016

Of those two, the E 220d at least looks to be on shaky ground going forward, as Mercedes-Benz has gradually dropped diesel out of various ranges over recent years.

The then-popular diesel disappeared from the CLS four-door coupe range in 2018 when the new-generation debuted with ISG tech in both the fours and sixes.

And more recently, Benz dropped the GLC 300d diesel from the popular mid-size SUV at facelift time and replaced it with the plug-in petrol-electric hybrid 300e priced just a few thousand dollars above the standard 300 four-cylinder petrol-turbo.

The E 300e plug-in hybrid sedan that uses the same powertrain as the GLC 300e is already offered by Mercedes-Benz in Australia and will continue on after the facelift arrives.

Having said all, there’s no doubt diesels will survive in the Benz line-up of SUVs such as the GLE and GLS for some time yet.

mercedes benz e class 001 8vwx

The second-generation belt-driven ISG that should be introduced with the new M 254 turbo-petrol four-cylinder to the E-Class in Australia produces up to 15kW and 180Nm. It will come with a 48-volt onboard system, energy recuperation capability and a gliding function.

The specification of M264 turbo-petrol engine fitted to the E 200 and E 300 sedans in Australia does not have ISG tech.

Up at the inline six-cylinder level the M256 turbo-petrol 3.0-litre I6 with ISG and 48V joins the E-Class line-up. It should replace the 3.0-litre M276 V6 in the E 450 4MATIC in Australia at this facelift.

mercedes benz e class 005

That engine and ISG system is already available here in the CLS 450 and GLE 450 and overseas in the outgoing S-Class. It provides a boost of as much as 16kW and 250Nm.

The diesel inline six-cylinder is the 3.0-litre OM656, which in Australian-spec is not fitted with ISG. Mercedes-Benz Australia could update to the engine to mild-hybrid, leave it as is, or drop it.

No doubt the pastoralists and country doctors will be hoping it is retained.

* After a break from diesel engines for several years, Benz returned a diesel to its E-Class line-up in 1997 with the launch of the W210 E300TD, a 130kW I6 priced at $99,900.

Share this article
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Download the carsales app
    AppStoreDownloadGooglePlayDownload
    App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.
    © CAR Group Ltd 1999-2024
    In the spirit of reconciliation we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of Country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.