Quick Specs
General
Model: '06 Mercedes-Benz E320 CDI
Base price: $51,050
Price as tested: $55,465
Options as tested: Pewter paint ($690), Premium Package ($2,950),destination and delivery ($775)
Engine
Type: 3.2L turbocharged inline 24-valve six-cylinder diesel
Displacement liter/ci): 3.2/196.6Mfg.'s hp @ rpm: 201 @ 4,200
Mfg.'s torque (lb.-ft.) @ rpm: 369 @ 1,800-2,600
Drivetrain
Transmission: Five-speed automatic
Final drive: 2.65:1
Suspension/Axles
Front: Coil spring, double wishbone, gas shocks, stabilizer bar
Rear: Coil spring, five-link, gas shocks, stabilizer bar
Steering
Type: Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
Turns (lock-to-lock): 2.8
Turning radius (ft.): 37.4
Brakes
Front: 12.3-inch vented discs, single-piston calipers, four-channel ABS
Rear: 11.8-inch discs, single-piston calipers, four-channel ABS
Wheels/Tires
Wheels: 16x8 dual-spoke light alloy
Tires: 225/55R16 all season
Dimensions/Capacities
Base curb weight (lbs.): 3,835
Wheelbase (in.): 12.4
Overall length (in.): 189.7
Overall width (in.): 71.3
Height (in.): 57.0
Track f/r (in.): 61.4/61.2
Cabin volume (cu. ft.): 97.2
Trunk volume (cu. ft.): 15.9
Ground clearance (in.): 4.88
Top speed (mph): 130
Fuel capacity (gal.): 21.1
Fuel mileage (mpg, observed): 26.9
Seating, persons: 5
 The outstanding 3.2L diesel...  The outstanding 3.2L diesel engine is designed to be quiet and powerful. It's nestled in an engine compartment that is sculpted and well insulated. The engine produces a modest 201 hp and a V-8-like 369 lb-ft of torque. At idle, there's only a very faint diesel clatter that hints at what lurks under the hood. |  Mercedes engineers didn't...  Mercedes engineers didn't forget that most people drive at night. When either of the front doors is opened, the interior is bathed in bright, white light. There are virtually no dead spots in the lighting, and there are even lights in the bottoms of the front doors so you can see the surface of the ground. |  Even the rear-seat passengers...  Even the rear-seat passengers get coddled in luxury. They get top-quality leather seating and excellent interior lighting at night. Strangely, there are plenty of ashtrays, but no cup holders. |
COMING SOON: The World'sCleanest Diesel Engine
Beginning in 2007, Mercedes-Benz will fit the E320 with a new 3.0L BLUETEC V-6 turbodiesel engine. This new diesel will generate 210 hp and 388 lb-ft of torque, which is an improvement over the current 3.2L inline six-cylinder diesel. Improved power isn't the whole story, however. Mercedes says that the new BLUETEC engine will be the world's cleanest diesel. The new BLUETEC system depends on the use of ultra low-sulfur diesel fuel, and it incorporates four after-treatment units in the exhaust stream. Those elements include an oxidizing catalytic converter, a particulate filter, an advance "denox" storage converter, and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalytic converter. Further, the new BLUETEC engine can be equipped with AdBlue injection, which is a water-based urea solution that is carried in its own small tank and metered into the exhaust. When this solution is injected into pre-cleaned exhaust gas, ammonia is released, converting nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen and water in the SCR catalytic converter. What this all boils down to is a diesel that can meet even the most stringent emissions standards. This could also translate to even more mainstream acceptance of diesel engines. Naturally, we'll have a road test of this new engine in an upcoming issue.