In all honesty, luxury cars are not the best examples of fuel efficient vehicles. However, with stringent emission and efficiency norms, luxury car makers are working out there to set an example with their new machines, and what better way to do it than with endurance feats. Mercedes-Benz has now set one such example with the E-Class that completed 1968 kms of a non-stop journey in 27 hours from Tangier, Africa to the ongoing Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK on just one tank of fuel.
The Mercedes E300 BlueTEC Hybrid was being driven by UK motoring journalist Andrew Frankel who clocked up 1968 kms on the journey when he reached Goodwood from Africa, and still had another 160 kms of fuel left in the tank. During the process the executive sedan managed to average 73.6 mpg (26.05 km/l), despite heavy rain, intense heat, traffic jams and elevation changes, not to mention passing through four countries, two continents and three time zones.
As impressive as the endurance feat is for Mercedes-Benz and Mr. Frankel, the journalist did get through with little help of a relief driver. Secondly the E-Class was fitted with the optional 80-litre fuel tank rather than the standard 60-litre tank, which otherwise was completely stock with no changes to the mechanicals of the sedan. The E300 BlueTEC Hybrid is powered by a 2.1-litre diesel engine producing 204 PS of power and 500 Nm of torque that is paired to a 27 PS electric motor. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed auto gearbox.
Despite its eco-friendly credentials, the E300 BlueTEC Hybrid can still do 0-100 km/hr in 7.5 seconds and has a top speed of 241 km/hr. The endurance feat surely sums up the capabilities of the E-Class Hybrid and while both the drivers were aiming to achieve the highest fuel economy on the journey, they surely didn’t have to worry much about going slow either. If you are in the UK and happen to visit the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the E300 BlueTEC Hybrid is on display at the First Glance paddock. Don’t miss out on the stunning pictures from the journey below.
