Mercedes launches S250 CDI

By Ross Pinnock

September 2010

Is this the most fuel-efficient luxury car in the world? Mercedes bosses certainly think so. Say hello to the new S250 CDI, which was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show. It promises fuel economy of nearly 50mpg while low CO2 emissions of only 149g/km are sure to make it a hit in the prestige saloon car sector.

Despite its economical objectives, the new S-Class can accelerate from 0-62mph in 8.2 second thanks to its 201bhp engine, which produces a hefty 500Nm of torque.

A revised 7G-Tronic Plus automatic gearbox helps to trim consumption and the new S250 CDI also features ECO start/stop, which kills the engine when the car comes to a halt and the driver continues to press the brake pedal.

Mercedes will launch 50 models with the fuel-saving kit over the next 12 months as it aims to go head-to-head with its German rivals Audi and BMW, who widely use stop-start technology across their line-ups.