Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

Don't you just hate it that Europe gets the coolest diesel cars while we have to be content with just 3/4 - ton trucks and the hard-to-get VW TDIs? If you aren't already green with envy from the variety of diesel offerings Europe has, be prepared to look like Kermit the Frog after reading this.

Mercedes-Benz just introduced its new E 420 CDI midsize sedan for the European market. Don't let its conservative looks fool you. Underhood lurks the heart of a beast. If you want Freightliner-grade diesel clatter emanating from under the hood, you will be disappointed. Like most of Mercedes' recent diesel offerings, the 420's refinement rivals even its gasoline-powered stablemates. But one look at the spec sheet should relieve your disappointment: 314 horsepower at a relaxed 3,600 rpm and a truly truck-like 538 lb./ft. of torque at 2,200 rpm. All this in a mid-sized sedan with combined fuel economy of 25 miles per gallon.

The copious torque output allows this version of the E-class to blast from 0-62 miles per hour (the conversion of the European 0-90 km/h measurement) in 6.1 seconds. Essentially, a sub-6-second 0-60 time. You'd think with this level of power and performance, the engine would be a heavy, large-displacement lump. But Mercedes has managed to squeeze this staggering output from just 3,996 cubic centimeters. That's right, only 4.0 liters. Total weight of the twin-turbocharged and liquid-intercooled V-8 engine is 570 lbs., or a little more than half the weight of a Cummins ISB or Power Stroke.

So when is this model coming stateside, if ever? The odds are, not likely. The chances of us getting the new V-6 diesel, putting out a still-respectable 224 horsepower and 376 lb./ft. are much better. But come on, how cool would the bragging rights be to pull in your neighbor's driveway in this innocent-looking luxury sedan next to his LB7 Duramax and say, "I've got more torque than you."