Pulled over on the side of an arrow-straight highway in a sunny patch of Nevada desert lined with scattered cacti and not much else, the steam poured out of the traffic officer's ears as she slowly walked up to the side of the car. "Do you have any idea how fast you were going?"
Actually, I didn't think it was anything too outrageous but, judging by the look on her face, she did, and wasn't happy about it at all. Sure, I was chit-chatting with my passenger and not paying particular attention to the speedometer, but I was not trying any banzai acceleration runs or even passing anyone, so how high could it be in this 2007 Mercedes-Benz E320 diesel luxury car? Even I was surprised at the clocked figure: 91 mph or 146 km/h.
"What is it with you Mercedes guys?" she demanded, as the true reason for her exasperation became clear. "You're the third one I've pulled over today."
This was not the way Mercedes-Benz wanted to prove to its assembled group of international auto critics that the new E320 BlueTec was in fact whisper-quiet on the highway, but it was effective.
Especially quiet was the post-ticket drive back to the hotel, where a close eye on the speedo kept things to 65 mph (105 km/h) in what felt like an agonizingly slow parade through the desert that nobody else had bothered to come out and watch. Cruise control is a very good habit to get into with this car.
Yet anyone who drove the current Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI will tell you that Benz knows how to do quiet, powerful diesels. The new-generation E320 BlueTec is a major step forward in diesel-emissions technology — as much for its potential as for what it is now — but has to be considered a disappointment for Mercedes-Benz.
To much fanfare at major auto shows in the U.S. earlier this year, Mercedes-Benz trumpeted the fact that BlueTec diesels were on their way in the fall, as soon as ultra-low sulphur diesel fuel was mandated across continental North America, and that these were "the world's cleanest diesel vehicle."
It was therefore quite a bold strategy to unveil the first BlueTec to the U.S. market instead of diesel-hungry Europe, which has to wait until 2008 to get BlueTec models.
Up until April of this year, it was commonly expected — and widely reported — that Benz's announcement would mean that diesels were coming back to all 50 states in the U.S., including California. No new diesel-powered passenger vehicles are now sold in the state, thanks to its tougher emissions rules, especially lower limits for nitrogen oxides (NOX). Four other U.S. states have adopted Californian vehicle emissions standards — Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont and New York.
The new E320's BlueTec can get close to, but not pass, these stringent NOX requirements, so the car is only available in 45 states. This is a crushing blow for Mercedes-Benz, as much as it doesn't want to admit it, because this is supposed to be the car that helps make diesel popular in North America again.
BlueTec is what Mercedes would like other car makers to adopt for use in North America, which would help diesel fuel be sold in more gas stations and make diesel vehicles more attractive to buyers.
Officially, Mercedes-Benz says it never stated that its system would be 50-state legal, which stretches the truth to Clinton-esque proportions. It may never have explicitly used those words, but the implication was there and no indication was given that it might not make it to all the country.
Mercedes-Benz is still trying to sell its BlueTec diesel to other luxury players like Audi and BMW, which shows just how anxious the car maker is to get the diesel ball rolling in North America, and will no doubt have a tougher selling job when its showcase vehicle can't be sold in the largest luxury markets in the United States.
