Mercedes Debuts Slimmer, Slicker C-class BlueEfficiency Models

Because even the most fuel-efficient powertrain is limited by the mass and the aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle it’s moving, Mercedes-Benz created the C-class BlueEfficiency. Debuting at the Geneva Show and headed for European showrooms in the spring, this trio of highly optimized sedans incorporates a load of weight-saving tricks and subtle aero enhancements with the singular goal of cutting fuel consumption.

Weight reduction, compared with the standard versions of the C-class, ranges from 42 to 71 pounds. Savings come primarily from the use of a new lightweight laminated windshield, lighter insulation material, and aerodynamically optimized forged aluminum wheels.

Wind-cheating modifications, including a ride height lowered by 15 millimeters, a smooth belly pan, a variable radiator shutter that manages the amount of air flowing through the grille, resculpted mirror housings, and sealed gaps between the bumper, headlamps, and hood, lower the car’s drag coefficient by 7 percent, from an already-fine 0.27 to 0.25. New tires from Michelin lower rolling resistance by seventeen percent.

On top of those measures, the BlueEfficiency cars utilize taller final drive ratios and a gearshift display that prompts the driver to shift at the point that will maximize efficiency. Mercedes claims this “ECO Training” program can help cut fuel consumption by 15 percent alone.

The C200 CDI uses a 134-horsepower 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel, returning an estimated 46 mpg (5.1 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers), 10.5 percent less than the standard car.

The C180 Kompressor packs a 154-horsepower supercharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine (downsized from the standard C180′s 1.8 liters, but retaining the same output figures), to return 36 mpg (6.5 l/100km), 12 percent less.

The C350 CGI (pictured above) uses a 288-horsepower 3.5-liter direct-injection gasoline V-6 to return 28 mpg (8.4 l/100 km), a 10-percent savings.

Photo courtesy of Mercedes-Benz.

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Coming Soon from VW: A 69.9 MPG Diesel Hybrid

It’s official – Volkswagen is unveiling a hybrid to challenge the mighty Toyota Prius. And not just any hybrid, but a diesel-electric hybrid it says will deliver 69.9 mpg.

VW’s been experimenting with hybrids of the gasoline-electric variety since the early 1990s, but the Golf hybrid it will unveil next month at the Geneva Motor Show is the first production model the German company’s rolled out. Volkswagen isn’t offering much in the way of details, but the car is expected to have a  parallel hybrid drivetrain with a 2.0 liter engine. Look for it to have an all-electric mode at low speed, start-stop capability, regenerative braking and a 7-speed DSG double-clutch transmission, according to Auto Express and AutoBlog Green.

What’s all the techno-jargon mean? The Golf Hybrid will get almost 70 mph while meeting Europe’s stringent Euro V and America’s Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards, making it green enough even for California. The car is said to emit just 89 g/km of CO2. (For comparison, the Prius emits 104 g/km and Honda Civic Hybrid emits 116.)

The hybrid Golf may be just the start.

According to Britain’s Channel 4, VW is considering the hybrid drivetrain in a Jetta and Audi A3. DailyTech says it also could appear in the VW
Tiguan and Audi Q5 crossover utility  vehicles.

Auto Express says the Golf hybrid will be offered for sale in Europe by the end of next year. No word yet on when we might see it on this side of the pond. VW hasn’t released a picture of the hybrid, so we’re offering a shot of its diesel Golf Bluemotion.

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Source: Auto Express: News

Budget hot hatch unleashed! – Proton R3 Satria

Looking for performance at an affordable price? Then check out Proton’s R3 Satria hot hatch. Built with the help of Lotus, the model is designed as a budget alternative to rivals such as the Ford Fiesta ST.

Exact details are still scarce, but it’s thought it will deliver more than 150bhp – the current 1.6-litre Satria GTi has 130bhp – and have stiffened suspension for sharper handling and less body roll through corners. An aggressive bodykit with revised bumpers and side skirts shows its performance credentials. The R3 Satria could go on sale in the UK within the next 12 months.

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News in Brief

Lotus Exige goes for Cup glory as new firebreather cranks up the power
THE most hardcore Lotus Exige has just got even more extreme. Thanks to a revised engine management system, the Cup variant (below) now produces 257bhp from its 1.8-litre supercharged engine – an increase of 5bhp over the version it replaces. That’s enough to power the British car from 0-40mph in 4.1 seconds and on to 147mph. The Exige Cup 260 also features a new variable traction control. Initially it will only be available as a left-hand drive, but a UK model may be offered.

Survey backs our air pump findings
A STAGGERING 60 per cent of tyre pressure pumps on filling station forecourts are out of order. That’s according to motorists who took part in a recent poll by campaign group TyreSafe. The figure follows a recent Auto Express probe (Issue 994), in which 40 per cent of the airlines we checked across the UK were either faulty, inoperative or giving an incorrect reading.

Saloon Star joins electric chargers
IT looks as if Tesla Motors is charging ahead with plans for an all-new electric luxury saloon. Currently dubbed the WhiteStar, the newcomer is set to cost half the price of the US firm’s £50,000 battery-powered roadster. The sports car maker is reportedly hoping to raise funds to build a new plant in California, where production will start in 2010.

Damage claims soar in cold snap
POTHOLE damage claims went through the roof last month, latest figures reveal. Nearly 50 per cent more vehicles suffered suspension or axle damage in January alone, according to extended cover provider Warranty Direct. It says the cold spell is to blame, as rain and freezing temperatures cause potholes to open, and water seeps into the seams of the road surface.

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It’s the Fiat van that can! – Fiat Fiorino

From one green Fiat to another! The firm’s Fiorino transporter van has been transformed into a compact MPV with a lurid paint finish – and the promise of fuel returns of up to 61.4mpg.

Set to debut at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, it’s the Fiat version of the car jointly developed with PSA Peugeot-Citroen – a partnership that spawned the Peugeot Bipper and Citroen Nemo.

The new five-seater people carrier slots into the range below the Doblo, and is aimed at young families who need plenty of interior space and versatility, yet don’t want the dimensions of a full-size seven-seater. Despite its compact design, the Fiorino manages to provide a boot capacity of 330 litres with all the chairs in place, or 2,800 litres when the back bench and front passenger seat are removed.

But the party piece is the fact it can swallow objects up to 2.5 metres long – even though it measures only 3.9 metres, bumper-to-bumper. The Fiorino also shows its van DNA with twin sliding doors, which will be useful in tight parking spots.

Three trim levels will be available when the newcomer goes on sale here: Base, SX and Adventure. The suspension on the latter is jacked up by 2cm. This is a design feature aimed to help drivers over poor-quality roads and speed humps, but it’s mainly about aesthetics, giving the car a more rugged appearance.

Buyers can choose between a 1.3-litre 16v Multijet diesel engine – producing 74bhp and returning 61.4mpg fuel economy – or a 1.4-litre petrol with figures of 72bhp and 40.4mpg. The Fiorino will hit UK showrooms towards the end of this year.

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Diesel hybrid Golf on way – Volkswagon Golf

The Volkswagen Golf is ready to join the hybrid club! The German company will unveil a new diesel-electric version of its best-selling hatchback at next month’s Geneva Motor Show.

Set to be the most efficient and cost-effective model in the line-up, the Golf will return an incredible 83.1mpg and emit only 89g/km of CO2.

Unlike the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic IMA, the newcomer will use an oil-burner instead of a petrol engine as its main source of power. While no details have been officially released, the unit in question is expected to be the common-rail 2.0-litre recently launched in the Tiguan SUV, as it will need to meet strict Euro V emissions rules.

Driving the front wheels, this powerplant will be boosted by an electric motor that not only gives extra performance, but could allow the car to run on its battery only at low speeds, too.

The Golf is also likely to get a modified version of VW’s efficient, quick-shifting DSG double-clutch transmission. In addition, engineers will fit a stop-start system to cut the engine when the car is stationary.

Further fuel-saving measures will include regenerative braking and aero-dynamic tweaks similar to those seen on VW’s efficient Bluemotion models. For now, only Peugeot has a potential rival for the VW. The French marque unveiled its 308 Hybride HDi at last autumn’s Frankfurt expo, and plans to bring it to dealers by 2010. Mating a 110bhp 1.6-litre diesel with a 22bhp electric motor, the family hatchback is capable of returning 83mpg economy, and puts out only 90g/km of CO2.

The first hybrid Golfs are expected here late next year. And the innovative drivetrain will find its way into other VW Group cars, including Audi’s A3.

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Ethanol Industry, Bigger Than Ever, Says Its Critics Are Wrong

Don’t let all the bad press ethanol’s been getting lately fool you – 2007 was one hell of a year for the ethanol industry, and 2008 promises to be just as good. Like it or not, ethanol is here to stay.

By almost any measure, 2007 was one for the record books. Domestic production hit 6.5 million gallons. Consumption surged 40 percent to almost 7 billion gallons (we imported 450,000 gallons to meet demand). Twenty-nine refineries opened, raising domestic production capacity to 7.9 billion gallons. And the Bush Administration made biofuel a key component of national energy policy for the next 15 years.

Bob Dinneen, head of the Renewable Fuels Association, rattled off these numbers with the zeal of an evangelist preacher during the the National Ethanol Conference, where he proclaimed the state of his industry just fine, thank you very much.

“The naysayers notwithstanding, 2007 was a seminal year for the industry,” he said in his state of the industry address.

Ah yes. The naysayers. Production is surging and money is flowing, but ethanol is under attack from a growing number of environmentalists and scientists who say biofuels do more harm than good.

Dinneen has two words for them: You’re wrong.

He calls the food-vs-fuel debate a “fallacy” that assumes “farmers are incapable of supplying the growing needs for food, fiber and fuel.” Besides, he said, biorefiners only need the starch in feedstocks; the protein provided 14 million metric tons of livestock feed last year.

Dinneen says a study by Informa Economics found ethanol production caused less than 5 percent of the increase in food prices last year. (The study was funded by the Renewable Fuels Foundation, which is linked to the Renewable Fuels Association.) That may be the case in America, but the Economist says U.S. ethanol subsidies and increasing incomes in Asia are directly responsible for rising food prices worldwide.

So what about evidence suggesting biofuels cause more greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels because land is cleared to raise the feedstock? Dinneen says such arguments “ignore the complexities of the land use debate; they disregard the impacts and interplay of numerous global economic, social and political factors.” He says domestic ethanol cut emissions by 10 million tons last year – the equivalent of eliminating 1.5 million cars.

Dinneen didn’t mention it, but the RFA says media reports mischaracterized two studies recently published in Science suggesting biofuels compound global warming. A ???’worst case scenario’ calculation, without a petroleum fuel baseline analysis, was portrayed as a fair and transparent comparison,” it said. He also didn’t mention rainforests are being cleared in Indonesia in part to produce palm oil for biofuel but stressed, “There is no justification for invading the rainforest to make way for biofuels.”

The criticism will surely mount as ethanol becomes more prevalent. Sixty biorefineries are under construction and seven more are being expanded. E85 infrastrcture is growing. Yet Dinneen says the biggest challenge will “continued attacks by those unwilling or unable to accept the revolutionary change ethanol is bringing.”

Download the text of Dinneen’s speech here and a 24-minute MP3 file of it here.

“Corn Belt” by Flickr user FotoEdge. Photo of Bob Dinneen by Chuck Zimmerman / Zimm Comm, courtesy of the Renewable Fuels Association.

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Ethanol Industry, Bigger than Ever, Says Its Critics Are Wrong


Don’t let all the bad press ethanol’s been getting lately fool you – 2007 was one hell of a year for the ethanol industry, and 2008 promises to be just as good. Like it or not, ethanol is here to stay.




By almost any measure, 2007 was one for the record books. Domestic production hit 6.5 million gallons. Consumption surged 40 percent to almost 7 billion gallons (we imported 450,000 gallons to meet demand). Twenty-nine refineries opened, raising domestic production capacity to 7.9 billion gallons. And the Bush Administration made biofuel a key component of national energy policy for the next 15 years.




Bob Dinneen, head of the Renewable Fuels Association, rattled off these numbers with the zeal of an evangelist preacher during the the National Ethanol Conference, where he proclaimed the state of his industry just fine, thank you very much.




“The naysayers notwithstanding, 2007 was a seminal year for the industry,” he said in his state of the industry address.




Ah yes. The naysayers. Production is surging and money is flowing, but ethanol is under attack from a growing number of environmentalists and scientists who say biofuels do more harm than good.




Dinneen has two words for them: You’re wrong.

He calls the food-vs-fuel debate a “fallacy” that assumes “farmers are incapable of supplying the growing needs for food, fiber and fuel.” Besides, he said, biorefiners only need the starch in feedstocks; the protein provided 14 million metric tons of livestock feed last year.




Dinneen says a study by Informa Economics found ethanol production caused less than 5 percent of the increase in food prices last year. (The study was funded by the Renewable Fuels Foundation, which is linked to the Renewable Fuels Association.) That may be the case in America, but the Economist says U.S. ethanol subsidies and increasing incomes in Asia are directly responsible for rising food prices worldwide.






So what about evidence suggesting biofuels cause more greenhouse gas emissions than fossil fuels because land is cleared to raise the feedstock? Dinneen says such arguments “ignore the complexities of the land use debate; they disregard the impacts and interplay of numerous global economic, social and political factors.” He says domestic ethanol cut emissions by 10 million tons last year – the equivalent of eliminating 1.5 million cars.




Dinneen didn’t mention it, but the RFA says media reports mischaracterized two studies recently published in Science suggesting biofuels compound global warming. A “’worst case scenario’ calculation, without a petroleum fuel baseline analysis, was portrayed as a fair and transparent comparison,” it said. He also didn’t mention rainforests are being cleared in Indonesia in part to produce palm oil for biofuel but stressed, “There is no justification for invading the rainforest to make way for biofuels.”




The criticism will surely mount as ethanol becomes more prevalent. Sixty biorefineries are under construction and seven more are being expanded. E85 infrastrcture is growing. Yet Dinneen says the biggest challenge will “continued attacks by those unwilling or unable to accept the revolutionary change ethanol is bringing.”




Download the text of Dinneen’s speech here and a 24-minute MP3 file of it here.




“Corn Belt” by Flickr user FotoEdge. Photo of Bob Dinneen by Chuck Zimmerman / Zimm Comm, courtesy of the Renewable Fuels Association.




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Coming Soon: Third-Gen Prius, Hybrid-Only Lexus

Lexus has no shortage of hybrid vehicles in its showrooms. Currently, the marque has gasoline-electric models derived from its GS and LS sedans and RX crossover. Well, according to Toyota Motor Corporation president Katsuaki Watanabe, by this time next year, Lexus will be welcoming its first hybrid-only model. Watanabe announced that this Lexus — along with the third-generation Toyota Prius — will debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Expect the shape of Prius 3.0 to hew closely to the rakish Hybrid X concept (pictured above right) from last year's Geneva Show. It's no secret that the company is interested in — and currently evaluating — plug-in technology for the Prius, but it's just not very likely we'll see such a car any time soon. Watanabe noted that Toyota plans to accelerate its global PHEV research and development program “by 2010,” delivering a fleet of plug-in cars to commercial customers for on-road testing.

What we can expect, however, is a Prius with a lithium-ion battery pack (Toyota is expanding its battery-making cooperation with Panasonic) and a significantly revised Hybrid Synergy Drive system, perhaps efficient enough to return 70 miles per gallon or better.

Details of the Lexus hybrid-only model are, at this point, sketchy at best. A traditional luxury-toned sedan seems likely, but we'd love to see a sporty premium two-door join the range, along the lines of the Toyota FT-HS concept from the 2006 Detroit Show. Outlandish? Hardly, when you consider that the edgy FT-HS (pictured above left) borrowed its gasoline-electric hybrid hardware from none other than the Lexus GS450h: a 292-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 and a 197-horsepower, 650-volt electric motor.

Photos courtesy of Toyota.

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