Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC Diesel G-Wagen G350

For all the excess of yesterday's post, why not counter that with a little bit more understated and, a-hem, responsible SUV. In this case, it's the latest version of Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen, the G350 which now features a BlueTEC Diesel plant under it's large, square hood.

No, the Mercedes Geländewagen isn't the freshest face on the block, it's been around, more or less unchanged since 1979, but it seems to be one of those evergreen designs that keeps selling, and Merc keeps updating where applicable. In this instance, the German automaker installed a new, state-of-the-art BlueTEC diesel into their wheeled box.

The G350 has a new V6 diesel mill that puts out a respectable 210 horsepower and a very respectable 398 lb-ft. of torque. It also gets a nearly 20 mpg combined fuel economy figure, which is also impressive, since the G has the aerodynamics of Mies van der Rohe building and weighs just slightly less. And in case your wondering, the gasoline fueled G550 averages about 13 mpg combined. The power from that (fairly) economical gets delivered to all four wheels via a seven-speed automatic transmission.

As in other Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC products, the G350 uses the same AdBlue additive to considerably lessen harmful nitrogen oxide emissions. AdBlue is an aqueous urea fluid that is pumped into the exhaust-gas system. It also uses a downstream catalytic converter to convert the nitrogen oxide emissions into innocuous nitrogen and water emissions. All of that cuts emissions to 305 g/km of CO2.

Although no official word has emerged from the German automaker, North American sales seem possible. European markets, however, will get the G350 BluTEC in all three variants, the five-door wagon, three-door wagon and two-door convertible, when it goes on sale later in 2010.

Source: Left Lane News