Mercedes-Benz Re-Thinks Direct Injection
As it now seems, the payoff for Mercedes playing the waiting game has been well worth it, with results that are well beyond expectations when compared to the standard 3.5-litre V6. All things considered, the automaker’s 3.5-litre V6 engine is a respectable power source, and can be found extensively throughout the Mercedes-Benz range in everything from its C-Class sedan to the ML-Class SUV. In current production guise it makes 272-horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque, but adding the revised CGI injection system to the same engine generates more power and more torque, delivering 292-horsepower and 269 lb-ft of torque. And it gets better, as fuel consumption is down to as little as 9.1 L/100 km from 10.1 L/100 km on a mix of city and highway. The CGI version of the CLS is also quicker to 100 km/h by 0.3 seconds, taking just 6.7 seconds.
Having positioned itself on the cutting edge of diesel technology with Bluetec, and now gasoline direct injection with CGI, Mercedes-Benz has returned to its tradition of perfection through innovation. Mercedes intends to replace the standard CLS350 with the new CLS350 CGI model, and eventually will phase out the non-CGI versions of other cars in favour of this powerplant. In the not too distant future, it’s also expected that Mercedes will add CGI to its smaller V6s and to its V8s as well. There’s been no word on whether Benz will offer CGI in North America, but with better quality fuels on the way and many competitors offering direct injection gasoline engines, it’s only a matter of time.