Mercedes-Benz, the brand that seven decades ago introduced the world’s first diesel passenger car, has announced its intention of doubling the availability of diesel models in Australia over the next twelve months.

Mercedes-Benz has produced more than seven million diesel passenger cars and is a leader in the development of diesel technology. In the early 1950’s the 170 D kicked off volume sales of diesel passenger cars in Australia. Since then thousands of Australians have purchased a Mercedes-Benz with a diesel engine.

Currently, four diesel models are on offer in Australia including the C 220 CDI, Viano 2.2 CDI, E 280 CDI Saloon and ML 320 CDI. The new V6 powered E 280 CDI, boasting 140 kW of power, went on sale in September, replacing the previous five-cylinder E 270 CDI. Similarly, the V6 ML 320 CDI which was released this month, boasting 165 kW, replaces the previous ML 270 CDI.

“Mercedes-Benz prides itself on providing products that meet the demands of discerning consumers, increasingly so with the arrival of a number of new diesel models,” said Horst von Sanden, managing director responsible for the Mercedes Car Group.

“Mercedes-Benz diesel engines are ideally suited to all vehicle categories. It is not just their fuel consumption and environmental credentials that make them a practical choice. In terms of performance and comfort, diesel engines are today the equal of petrol powerplants,” said von Sanden.

The new models will include diesel variants of the B-Class, R-Class, E-Class Estate and a yet to be confirmed fourth model.

The recently launched B-Class petrol variants will be joined by a four-cylinder B 180 CDI (80kW), boasting fuel consumption figures of 5.6 – 5.8 litres per 100 kilometres (NEDC combined consumption), mid next year.

The Estate variant of the E 280 CDI will join the Saloon in the third quarter of next year, sporting 140kW of power, 440 Nm of torque and fuel consumption figures of 7.6 - 8.1 litres per 100 kilometres (NEDC combined consumption).

Last year Mercedes-Benz delivered nearly 700 diesel models throughout Australia and with the introduction of the new models, the company expects to double its sales of diesel cars over a twelve month period.

CLK-Class Named Australia’s Best Sports Car
23rd November, 2005
The CLK-Class has won honours at the annual Australia’s Best Cars Awards, with judges voting it the best sports car over $57,000 ..... more

Audi A6 TDI Is Australia's Best Luxury Car
23rd November, 2005
Audi’s A6 3.0-litre TDI has won ‘Best Luxury Car over $57,000’ at the annual Australia’s Best Cars awards. This is the third consecutive year that Audi has won ‘Best Luxury Car’ ..... more

Volkswagen Touareg Experience 360° Back
22nd November, 2005
After travelling 76,451 kilometres, through 26 countries and six continents, one of the most exciting adventures of our time has come to a close: the Touareg experience 360° – a journey round the world in the Volkswagen Touareg ..... more

New 2.0 TDI Engine For Audi A4 Range
21st November, 2005
Audi’s new A4 2.0 TDI with 7-step multitronic, priced at $56,990, is now available in Australia ..... more

Bionic Car Laps Mercedes-Benz World
21st November, 2005
Mercedes-Benz 'Bionic Car' completed the first lap of one of the tracks at the 'Mercedes-Benz World' site at Brooklands ..... more

Cadillac Wins Manufacturers’ Titles
18th November, 2005
With a total of four victories, two pole positions and nine podium finishes, the CTS-V racers of Team Cadillac claimed a clean sweep of both the drivers’ and manufacturers’ championships in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT series ..... more

New Volkswagen Passat Clinches Prestigious Award
17th November, 2005
Upholding the tradition of all its predecessor generations, the new Passat again takes the honours as winner of the Bild am Sonntag newspaper’s “Goldenes Lenkrad” (golden steering wheel) award ..... more

Ford Invention Wins Award
17th November, 2005
The UK's Autocar magazine has presented Ford with the "Idea Of The Year Award" for its Easy Fuel Concept, a simple device that prevents drivers from accidentally filling their diesel car with petrol ..... more

Porsche Again Makes A Record Profit
17th November, 2005
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG turned in the highest profit in its corporate history during the 2004/05 fiscal year ..... more

Repsol Team Takes Win in UAE Desert
17th November, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors Repsol Team driver Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret clinched their third UAE Desert Challenge victory in four years ..... more

Green Light For New Audi R8 Sports Car
17th November, 2005
It’s official. The new 2007 sports car from Audi has been named the Audi R8 ..... more

Mika Häkkinen Continues in The 2006 DTM
17th November, 2005
Mika Häkkinen has extended his contract and will race again in the 2006 DTM, Mercedes-Benz Motorsport announced this week ..... more

New Audi S4 Launched in Australia
16th November, 2005
The new Audi S4, now in its third generation, is instantly recognisable thanks to a completely new exterior design and a dynamic front end dominated by the brand’s formal design idiom, the single-frame grille ..... more

Grand Sports Tourer Gets AMG Makeover
15th November, 2005
The new Mercedes-Benz Grand Sports Tourer (the R-Class), due to arrive in Australia next year, has been given an AMG makeover ..... more

Porsche: Turbo Driving Force
15th November, 2005
The very concept of turbocharger technology is linked inseparably with the name Porsche and the Porsche brand ..... more

Mercedes-Benz G-Class To Continue
14th November, 2005
DaimlerChrysler will continue to produce the G-Class in the coming years and the hot version, the G 55 AMG may come to Australia ..... more

DaimlerChrsyler Selling Mitsubishi Shares
14th November, 2005
DaimlerChrysler AG has agreed to sell its remaining equity interest in Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) ..... more

Peugeot Welcomes UK Bio-Fuel Iniative
13th November, 2005
Peugeot is keen to make customers aware that their HDi diesel cars are already capable of operating on this environmentally friendly fuel ..... more

UK Requires 5% Renewable Fuel By 2010
13th November, 2005
The UK's Transport Secretary has announced new measures to make transport fuels 'greener' by requiring 5% of all fuel sold on UK forecourts to come from a renewable source by 2010 ..... more

UK Crackdown On The Uninsured
11th November, 2005
In the UK, tough new enforcement action to crackdown on uninsured drivers has been unveiled. From yesterday, police forces across the UK can use automatic number plate recognition cameras to spot and ultimately seize and destroy cars being driven without insurance ..... more

Audi: Sweaty Overalls Off, Italian Fashion On
11th November, 2005
Following a gruelling season of the German Touring Car Masters series (DTM), Audi drivers swapped their sweaty racing overalls for renowned Italian fashion label, René Lezard ..... more

Duke of York Visits Bentley Motors
11th November, 2005
Bentley Motors welcomed HRH Duke of York to their factory yesterday, in his capacity as Special Representative for UK Trade and Investment ..... more

Mitsubishi Upgrades Outlander & Pajero
11th November, 2005
Two of Mitsubishi’s popular models – Outlander and Pajero – have received upgrades to enhance their popularity ..... more

Europe's VW Touareg W12 Sport Edition
10th November, 2005
A sporting look and dynamic performance with outstanding comfort. The Touareg W12 Sport Edition with an extensive package of equipment is available now in Europe ..... more

Mercedes-Benz SLK-Class Roadsters
9th November, 2005
Australian customers snapped up more than 1,000 second-generation Mercedes-Benz SLK roadsters in the car’s first year on sale ..... more

Mercedes ML 320 CDI Arrives
8th November, 2005
The all new V6 diesel-powered ML 320 CDI is now available in Mercedes-Benz showrooms across the country, priced from $82,900 ..... more

Volkswagen California and California 4MOTION
7th November, 2005
The Volkswagen California has been synonymous with freedom and leisure since the late fifties. Many other car manufacturers have tried to copy the original, but none have succeeded in capturing the true essence of the ‘VW Bus’, nor its derivative, the all inclusive, kitchen sink as standard, Volkswagen Camper ..... more

Industry Gears up for End of Year Sales Push
6th November, 2005
Australian motor vehicle sales dropped slightly in October, interrupting a run of record monthly results that have pushed the market to new heights this year ..... more

Strong Demand For Boxster In North America
6th November, 2005
Porsche’s sports cars posted another considerable increase in sales in October 2005. The strongest rise in Boxster shipments was recorded in North America ..... more

Peugeot’s Carbon Sink in the Amazon Forest
5th November, 2005
The CEO of PSA and the Director of France’s Office National des Forêts (ONF), traveled to the São Nicolau tree farm in Brazil for a review of their experimental carbon sink project ..... more

The Last Rover
5th November, 2005
The British Motor Industry Heritage Trust has discovered the mystery surrounding the very last car built at the MG Rover Longbridge plant in Birmingham ..... more

Range Rover Sport At SEMA
3rd November, 2005
Land Rover North America is presenting the first Range Rover Sport to appear at the annual Specialty Equipment Manufacturer’s Association (SEMA) show, in Las Vegas, USA ..... more

Ford GTX1 Roadster At SEMA
2nd November, 2005
With the 1966 Sebring-winning Ford GTX1 roadster as inspiration, Ford SVT's Kip Ewing unveiled his take on that legendary racer at the Specialty Equipment Market Association show in Las Vegas ..... more

Bentley Celebrates The Blue Train Race
1st November, 2005
Some 75 years since the adventurer and Le Mans winner Woolf Barnato raced and beat the famous Blue Train on its journey across France ..... more

CLS 55 AMG 'IWC Ingenieur' Sells Out
31st October, 2005
Seven Australians have secured an order for one of the unique four-door coupes, which were developed by Mercedes-AMG in cooperation with the Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen ..... more

VW Touareg Tow Ball Down Weight Now 350kg
31st October, 2005
Volkswagen has now increased the tow ball down weight of the Touareg from 140 kilogrammes to 350 kilogrammes ..... more

4MOTION For New Volkswagen Passat
27th October, 2005
The new generation Passat can now be ordered with permanent 4MOTION four-wheel drive in Europe ..... more

Extra Spice for Benz A-Class
27th October, 2005
The Mercedes-Benz A-Class is sporting a little extra spice with the introduction of a new sports package ..... more

Volkswagen Multivan Business
26th October, 2005
The Volkswagen Multivan Business, now available to order, made its Australian debut at Sydney's 2005 Australian International Motor Show ..... more

Caterham Dominates Monte Carlo 2005
26th October, 2005
One of the ultimate tests of endurance and reliability, the Monte Carlo Sports Car Challenge, has been dominated by the legendary Caterham Seven ..... more

All-New Jaguar XK – The Full Story
25th October, 2005
Next year's launch of the all-new Jaguar XK marks a new era for Jaguar in terms of both design and engineering ..... more

Scottish Sports Car Of The Year
24th October, 2005
The Association of Scottish Motoring Writers has voted the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX as Sports Car of the Year 2005 ..... more

Audi Shooting Brake Concept For Tokyo
20th October, 2005
An Audi sports car of the future may possibly have just started the journey from drawing board to driveway in the shape of the Audi Shooting Brake Concept, a convention-challenging, technology-laden design study destined for the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show ..... more

Volkswagen Wins Grand Challenge 2005
20th October, 2005
Volkswagen won the American Grand Challenge 2005 with a Touareg TDI ..... more

Nissan Unveils the GT-R PROTO
20th October, 2005
With the launch of the production model just two years away, the development of the new GT-R has moved ahead again with the revealing of the GT-R PROTO ..... more

Tokyo Debut For Division Wall Phantom
19th October, 2005
Rolls-Royce Motor Cars will unveil at the Tokyo Motor Show a new division wall package, fitted to an extended wheelbase Phantom ..... more

The New Audi S8
19th October, 2005
Distinct sports appeal and supreme comfort – these are the two defining characteristics of the Audi A8. At the time of its market launch three years ago, this large saloon shot straight to the top of the luxury segment thanks to its dynamic qualities. The brand with the four-ring emblem is now unveiling a sporty top model of the very highest calibre in the luxury segment: the new Audi S8 ..... more

I'm Always Dreamin'
20th September, 2005
Codenamed ‘Project Tempest’, development work on a core range of affordable, high performance cars, is now at an advanced stage ..... more

Morgan Range Updated For 2005
20th June, 2005
With effect from July 2005 production, various product, specification and pricing enhancements are made to the various classic Morgan models ..... more