Bringing Bluetec Back - Mercedes Offers Diesels Again in California
We're not sure how successful advertising a new Mercedes-Benz on CraigsList can be, but an ad on the web-based bulletin board hinted at good news for Californian diesel lovers. Hours later, it was confirmed: the E320 Bluetecis now available in California, the first light-duty diesel to meet the state's current emission standards.
The rumor mill was abuzz yesterday morning, when an advertisement on CraigsList showed a new E320 Bluetec for sale in southern California. This wasn't a used E320 slipping through a legal loophole, but, according to Mercedes-Benz of South Bay, a brand new diesel E-class. The dealer also went on to say the car would be available starting Monday.
(Click through to find out more about how Californians can get a diesel Benz.)
Hours later, Mercedes' PR machine confirmed the advertisment. Yes, the Bluetec Benz is available in the Golden State, but there's a catch: you can't actually buy it. In a move echoing certain electric vehicles, the E320 Bluetec is only available in a 2-year, 24,000-mile lease which, Mercedes says, is priced near the gas-powered E350 lease rate (~$600 a month).
Mercedes' release (see below) claims the lease program allows the E320 to be offered now as a "bridge" until the company rolls out diesels in all fifty states. The brand plans to introduce the urea-filtered AdBlue system on the M, GL and R-class cars in 2008 and expand the E320 lease program to other diesel-prohibitive states.
Only 100 E320s will be made available to Californians, so if you're in the area and interested, act quickly.
MERCEDES-BENZ PRESS RELEASE
LOS ANGELES, CA – On the runway at this week’s Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios, Mercedes-Benz USA (MBUSA) unveiled a version of its E320 BLUETEC, a diesel sedan that will immediately be available in limited numbers to California customers through a special two-year/24,000-mile lease.
California’s stringent emissions requirements have kept new diesel automobiles models off the California market for the better part of a decade. The new E320 BLUETEC – distinguished as “2007 World Green Car
Comments
Alexander López
"In a move echoing certain electric vehicles, the E320 Bluetec is only available in a 2-year, 24,000-mile lease" That sounds like EV-1 to me. Let's hope these diesels have better luck; diesels have been selling in Europe in enormous quantities for decades.
By the way, someone has an EV-1 for sale?
Adam
Hope they'll actually offer them for sale. Part of the attraction of a diesel Mercedes to my mom, for example, has been the longevity, especially since she likes to keep her cars for 15-20 years. A 2-year lease seems to defeat one of the biggest advantages of a diesel engine...
Ducati Minor
"By the way, someone has an EV-1 for sale?"
I believe GM terminated all but one, which is non-functioning and at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. (I could be wrong about how many are remaining.) GM's demolition of the EV1 was the subject Who Killed the Electric Car?
Consumer Reports ran a comparison test between the E320 BLUETEC and the GS450h. The Lexus was faster and had proven reliability, but the E320 was roomier, well-accomodated, and beat the Lexus in fuel economy with 27 mpg overall versus the GS450h's 23.
Clint
My guess is that the lease move is to reduce risk to the manufacturer and to the buyer while attracting early adopters - the type of people who like to buy the latest and greatest products. Diesel, while obviously technologically sound, is very much unproven in the US in terms of non-commercial consumer acceptance. The average buyer will worry about availability of diesel fuel, maintenance and reliability of the new AdBlue system, and if the promise of similar performance with increased mileage is actually true.
The lease option will allow buyers to try BLUETEC without having to buy the whole vehicle. If they're not happy in two years, they can always give it back to Mercedes. This lack of firm commitment to BLUETEC will lower the consumer's risk of trying out the car as an early adopter. If diesel catches on and most leasers are happy, I'm sure Mercedes will offer a purchase option after two years.
If BLUETEC tanks in America, Mercedes can take all the cars back in two years, then crush them or send them back to Germany. This prevents Mercedes from having to provide maintenance and unique parts for 100 cars from a failed product line for the next twenty years. However, if BLUETEC catches on (which I hope it does), Mercedes can slowly crank up production without the risk of having dozens of diesel cars on each dealer's lot that the dealer can't get rid of without huge incentives.
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