Review: Four-cylinder for Mercedes S-class

Exactly ten years ago, rumors surfaced about a four-cylinder diesel engine for the Mercedes-Benz S-class. A nice shock at the time and the sign of ‘new times’.

In 2010 it became clear that the ‘downsize trend’ not only applied to compact cars and midsize cars, but that the bigger ones on this planet would not escape it either. When we heard on September 15, 2010, exactly ten years ago today, that the Mercedes-Benz S-Class would get a four-cylinder, we found that quite remarkable.

The rumor surfaced in the run-up to that year’s Paris Motor Show. Oh, those good old days when car shows could still take place … In Paris, Mercedes reportedly pulled the curtain on the S250 CDI, with a four-burner diesel engine under the hood. This would make Mercedes the first of the major brands to screw such a ‘small’ engine into its top limousine.

In the end it turned out to be more than a rumor, because it actually happened. In October 2010 the 250 CDI appeared on the Dutch price list. With a new price of less than € 90,000 it became the cheapest S-class. Although a four-cylinder in the S-class at the time still seemed like swearing in the church, the car with its 204 hp and 500 Nm was just good for an excellent 0-100 acceleration of 8.2 seconds and a top speed of 240 km / h. Certainly not intimate. In the end, Mercedes decided to spoon the 2.1-liter diesel engine into the CLS as well.

Trendsetter

Competitor BMW didn’t like it, such a four-cylinder in a top model. The 7 series would therefore remain free, BMW said at the end of 2010. Nevertheless, the top limousine from Bavaria would eventually believe it. With the previous generation, the 7 series was also marketed as a hybrid with a four-cylinder engine. Audi was there a bit earlier than BMW. Although a hybrid variant of the A8 with a four-cylinder was announced earlier than the S-class 250 CDI, the A8 Hybrid was only actually on the market in 2012.

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