Free Republic

STUTTGART, Germany — Mercedes-Benz said it is rolling out a second diesel offering for its flagship S-Class lineup this month, a new 2006 S420 CDI. The latest edition to the S-Class lineup develops 320 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque from a 3996cc CDI engine with twin turbochargers. The engine is mated to a standard seven-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel gearshift controls. The S420 CDI sprints from zero to 62 mph in 6.6 seconds and has a top speed of 155 mph. The company said the more powerful diesel model replaces the V8-powered S400 CDI. Standard features include automatic climate...

UNDATED (WJRT) - (01/09/06)-- DaimlerChrysler's chairman believes there's a place for diesels in the U.S. car market. Dieter Zetsche says diesel vehicles will attract consumers because they combine performance with fuel efficiency. BLUETEC diesel technology will arrive in the U.S. market this fall on the Mercedes E-320 sedan, which gets 35-miles-per-gallon. Speaking to reporters at the North American International Auto Show, Zetsche said DaimlerChrysler plans to share its BLUETEC diesel technology with Chrysler Group. He says it's clean enough to potentially be used in all 50 states -- including California and four other states where diesels don't currently meet emissions...