Mercedes-Benz S 350 BlueTEC to Get Standard Start/Stop

Mercedes-Benz S 350 BlueTEC will be equipped with an ECO start/stop function as standard, the automaker announced today.

German automaker claims that, when equipped with ECO start/stop, the S 350 BlueTEC 's CO2 emissions drop from 177 grams per kilometer down to 164 g/km and fuel economy jumps to 6.2 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers (37.93 mpg U.S.).

The Mercedes-Benz S 350 BlueTEC is powered by a 258-horsepower (190 kW) 3-liter V6 diesel engine that generates 620 Nm of torque.

Automatic start/stop systems are becoming increasingly common in Europe where many non-hybrid cars are equipped with the relatively inexpensive systems that shut down the engine to prevent idling.

The ECO start/stop system developed by Mercedes-Benz switches the engine off when the vehicle comes to a standstill – for example at traffic lights. The engine then immediately starts again as soon as the driver takes his foot off the brake pedal. Thanks to the intelligent control system, all of the vehicle's functions and comfort systems continue to operate during the stop phase.

Thanks to BlueTEC with AdBlue exhaust treatment, the S-Class model – which made its debut in 2010 – currently already fulfils the emission values planned for 2014 in accordance with the EU6 standard, and as such is one of the world's cleanest diesel vehicles.

The price of the Mercedes-Benz S 350 BlueTEC remains unchanged at 76,517 euros.