German luxury auto maker Mercedes-Benz is engaged in developing a new scaled-back 1.6 litre four cylinder turbocharged powertrain for its C-Class. Car makers across the world are downsizing engines because of the hike in demand for fuel-efficient cars. Although the new engines are smaller in capacity, they are precisely tuned to deliver outputs equivalent to that of their siblings.
The new petrol engine being developed by Mercedes-Benz is code named M274 and is considered to be the longitudinally-placed version of the transverse M270 engine, which is already present in the latest generation of A-Class. The new powertrain being developed for C-Class will have a displacement of 1600 cc and will be offered in two different configurations. It is expected that the C-Class with this small 4 cylinder engine will be rolled out in the next couple of months.
Although company officials have announced the launch of their new engine, no clarifications have been made regarding its technical specifications, outputs and performance. It is anticipated that the new engine will have the potential to generate maximum power of 156 bhp and will churn out a peak torque of 250 Nm at a fairly low 1,250 rpm. Owing to the high torque at fairly low rpm, the company has compared its torque with that of a diesel engine. It will also be tuned to produce peak power of 122 bhp with 200 Nm of highest torque. Experts believe that the car maker will mate this motor to either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
The new powertrain is expected to comply with Euro 6 emission standards, since it releases just 143 g/km of carbon. Reportedly, Euro 6 emission standards will be obligatory for vehicles from 2015. Further details regarding the Mercedes-Benz C-Class with new 1.6 litre petrol powertrain will be declared near its launch. By launching a C-Class with a downsized engine, the company will be able to give the entry level luxury sedan a competitive price tag, which will enable it to wrest market share from rivals like Audi and BMW.
