NEW MERCEDEZ BENZ

Mercedes-Benz F 700: Pioneering New Technologies

Powered by a special 'DIESOTTO' 1.8-litre petrol engine, the hybrid car is backed up by an electric motor that reduces fuel economy to an average of 5.3L/100km. That's exceptional when you consider that is very heavy, weighing 1700kg.

The 'DIESOTTO' engine type is similar to systems being trialled by GM that remove the need for spark plugs in a conventional petrol engine, relying instead on intense pressure (like a diesel engine) to provoke combustion.

In the F 700 concept, Mercedes-Benz chose a four-cylinder with a displacement of 1.8 litres to showcase it's new Controlled Auto Ignition (CAI) technology. According to the company it combines the strong points of a low-emission gasoline engine with the consumption benefits of a diesel drive, emitting just 127 grams of CO2 per kilometre and using only 5.3 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers (44.3 mpg).

Using this so-called Controlled Auto Ignition (CAI), along with direct fuel injection and turbocharging, the new DIESOTTO engine type combines the high power of the spark-ignition engine with the high levels of torque and greater fuel economy of a diesel.