Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery from Daimler's press conference

Just like any good political campaign, Mercedes came to the New York Auto Show touting nothing much as a whole lot. Actually, the faux political rally might have been less than compelling with its old news, but the new M Class sporting 50-state legal BlueTec diesel power is exciting. Almost as exciting as the very original 1965 190 D Mercedes had borrowed to illustrate its long-running experience with Rudy's coal dust motor. The senescent sedan will be helping MBZ recreate Bill Carroll's cross-country diesel-fueled journey to celebrate the U.S.-wide availability of what it's touting as the cleanest diesel ever. BlueTec allows the M-, GL- and R-class oil burners to earn ULEV and TierII/Bin 5 classification.

Mercedes says its new diesels are now as clean as gasoline powerplants, and once they drop BlueTec hybrids on us, emissions and economy will improve yet again. JD Power projects that fully 40 percent of vehicles will be diesel powered by 2017, and Mercedes wants to increase diesel sales beyond the current level of 22 percent. The newly tweaked M-Class should help move the powertrain off dealer lots. Sporting plenty of safety upgrades, new headlights, a Hannibal-Lechter inspired grille and some interior tweaks, the M-Class has returned from the gym freshly chiseled. It was not all utes and politely obscured minivans (*ahem* R-Class). Just before Mercedes wrapped the presser, they said, we're paraphrasing here, "Oh yeah, we also brought the SL, w00t."

Gallery: New York 2008: Mercedes M Class and SL

Looks like Mercedes-Benz is expecting diesels to make a huge comeback in the United States over the next few years. M-B is apparently projecting that diesels will account for a whopping 10 percent of U.S. sales by 2010, up from just 3 percent last year. With the new BLUETEC-nology helping the German automakers meet stricter Bin 5 clean air standards, and gas prices continuing to hover near the $3/gallon level, it's likely diesels will become more attractive to buyers, especially in the light- and heavy-duty truck segment where the mileage and torque gains seem huge compared to gas-engined options.

New low-sulfur diesel fuel is finally becoming more widely available in States too, so look for diesels to start popping up everywhere soon. Mercedes in particular has shown off the possibilities of diesel in its E320 and will start selling diesels this fall starting in the ML320 and then the GL320 and probably the R320, as well. And Mercedes isn't the only company expecting big diesel gains. J.D. Power's Global Outlook for Diesel predicts North American diesel sales to account for 15 percent of new vehicle sales by 2015.

[Source: Automotive News, sub req]