2012 Mercedes-Benz S350 BlueTEC 4Matic

The company’s flagship sedan, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is viewed in many circles as the finest automobile in the world. For the 2012 model year, a new model, the S350 BlueTEC features a fuel-sipping 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel (240 hp, 455 lb.-ft.) and standard 4MATIC all-wheel drive. In addition, the S550 features a new 4.6-liter twin turbo direct-injection V8 (429 hp, 516 lb.- ft. of torque), producing both more power and better fuel economy (15 mpg city / 25 mpg highway).

The 2012 line-up also includes an innovative S400 HYBRID (295 hp, 284 lb.-ft.). In contrast to the frugal diesel and hybrid models, the high-performance V8- powered S63 AMG (536 hp, 590 lb.-ft.) and two magnificent V12-powered cars – the S600 (510 hp, 612 lb.-ft.) and the S65 AMG (621 hp, 738 lb.-ft.) – round out the S-Class sedan lineup. Most 2012 S-Class models are equipped with a new more fuel efficient seven-speed automatic transmission.

No Sacrifice in Convenience or Roominess

The diesel-powered S350 BlueTEC and the S400 HYBRID boast the same interior room, luxury and convenience features as other S-Class vehicles. Both the diesel and hybrid S-Class models are excellent examples of choices for today’s world that don’t involve compromises in aesthetics or comfort.

The hybrid model is differentiated by HYBRID logos on the trunk lid and dash as well as BlueEfficency badging on the front fenders. A special hybrid pictogram within the speedometer shows the energy flow, energy recovery and battery charge.

BlueTEC – A Blueprint For The World’s Cleanest Diesels

The first diesel-powered S-Class in the U.S. market since the 1995 model year, the new S350 BlueTEC 4MATIC model is powered by a purpose-built 3.0-liter V6 diesel with 240 horsepower, an astonishing 455 lb.-ft. of torque and estimated fuel economy of 20 mpg city / 31 mpg highway. Using several technologies to minimize diesel exhaust emissions, the S350 BlueTEC 4MATIC begins with a four-valve-per-cylinder diesel featuring centrally located piezo-electric injectors, CDI direct injection, a variable-nozzle turbocharger and exhaust gas recirculation.

Building on this foundation of advanced engine design, the S350 BlueTEC incorporates several modular after-treatment units in the exhaust stream – an oxidizing catalytic converter, a maintenance-free particulate filter, an SCR converter and an NOx storage converter. In the “denox” storage converter, nitrogen oxides are absorbed temporarily, and during brief regeneration pulses of a richer fuel-air mixture, the nitrogen oxides are released, reacting with other exhaust gas to form harmless nitrogen. These regeneration pulses also raise temperatures in the particulate filter, which automatically burns off the deposits.

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