The U.S.-market S350 will wear BlueTec badges and therefore use AdBlue urea injection to clean up the exhaust. It will be available exclusively with 4MATIC all-wheel drive. The 2011 ML350, R350, GL350, and E350 diesels use a similar turbo-diesel V-6 rated at 210 hp and 400 lb-ft. EPA ratings for the S350 BlueTec aren�t available yet, but the optimistic Europeans rate the S350 at a combined 37 mpg, so high 20s on the highway is a reasonable expectation for EPA tests. It�s sure to be more efficient than the gutsy S550 and S600 and perhaps even better than the S400 hybrid�s 19 city/26 highway mpg ratings.
Power-wise, the S350 will slot in at the bottom of the S-class range, with slightly less horsepower than the hybrid, but with the added bonus of heaps more torque. Expect it to be the slowest S-class, too; Mercedes says the European rear-drive S350 takes 7.8 seconds to reach 62 mph�for reference, we got the S400 hybrid to the 60-mph mark in 7.1 seconds. But Americans picking a diesel likely value other qualities higher than all-out speed.
Pricing is a little harder to pin down. Mercedes says it won�t release official numbers until closer to the model�s launch in the first quarter of 2011. We do know the S350 won�t be a stripper (a relative term with an S-class) and will be available with most of the same packages and equipment as other trim levels.
Broadly speaking, it�s not that surprising to see automakers putting smaller, more efficient powertrains in their luxury machines; witness the availability of six-cylinder engines in the BMW 740i/Li and Porsche Panamera. While a small diesel doesn�t necessarily fit the traditional S-class image in the U.S., it will satisfy eco-conscious buyers and help improve Mercedes� average fuel-economy figures.
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