New Mercedes-Benz A-Class Unveiled: 50 MPG, But Not For-Sale in U.S.
by Andrew Posner, Providence, Rhode Island on 03.31.08
Why is it that so many automakers keep their greener cars out of North-America? Is it that their more efficient models tend to run on diesel, an issue in America both because of strict clean-air requirements and preconceived notions about diesel as a dirty, noisy alternative to gasoline? Or is it simply because gasoline is so much more expensive in Europe than it is in America? Whatever the reason, Mercedes-Benz, which is already working to produce a hybrid that makes use of a lithium-ion battery, has "just presented to Europe its new A-class three- and five-door hatchbacks, with revised front- and rear-end styling and a sharper, more upscale interior." But alas, like so many other efficient vehicles, this one will not be for sale in America.
Too bad, because the new A-class will sport some impressive features.
"From a fuel-efficiency standpoint, the big news is the arrival of the A160 CDI BlueEfficiency model," which will feature "an 81-horsepower direct-injection diesel engine and a manual transmission" and will consume roughly 52 miles per gallon.
Not only is the A-class fuel efficient, it is also space efficient. "Although it's about two-feet shorter overall than a Volkswagen Rabbit, the A-class (thanks mostly to its tall roof), boasts the passenger space of a mid-size sedan, and five-door models offer rear-seat riders limousine-like legroom."
It's a shame automakers haven't caught on to the notion that Americans are becoming increasingly interested in the idea of smaller, lighter, more efficient cars. The popularity of the Yaris, Mini-Cooper and Smart ForTwo ought to be enough to make the trend clear. And when it comes to diesel, Americans are warming up to that idea, too.
See Also: ::Toyota iQ: Less is More for Small Urban Car, ::Is Clean Diesel the Way to Go?, ::Diesel-Hybrid Pickup Coming to U.S., ::Diesel's Role in the New Energy Bill, ::Honda Bringing 62.8 MPG Diesel to the US by 2010, and ::Small Japanese Cars Are Coming to North-America, Again
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I'm betting that not bringing this car to the USA has as much to do with brand image as anything else. Merc simply can't bring a small, relatively inexpensive car into the American market without trashing their image as super fancy motoring.
This isn't an issue in Europe, where people are used to seeing Mercedes mini-vans, school busses and delivery trucks. The A-Class is great, and has been around for some time actually, however it'll be a while before you see one states-side.
For now, the alternative is the Honda Fit, which is tres similar in design to the A-Class and gets nearly the gas mileage even with a petrol engine.
1. There is a misconception that there is enough diesel being produced in the United States to supply more diesel vehicles. Currently, there is not, and while we could increase production, it would come at the expense of standard unleaded fuel. There is an interesting balance that takes place in refining petrol, and It is not quite as simple as 'make more diesel vehicles and we save 30% of the fuel', unfortuantely.
2. One of the reasons these diesel vehicles are not released in the United States is due to the current mix of diesel production. Our refining facilities would have to change in order to create more diesel that is currently being used here, and that is a major transition that takes years. Whereas in Europe they already have the diesel production much higher, so they can support far more diesel vehicles.
3. Getting 52mpg in a diesel small car is hardly an amazing accomplishment. A Chevy Sprint from the 80's beat that gas mileage with unleaded fuel. It has everything to do with the weight of the vehicle, and what manufacturers need to do is spend time finding a way to make vehicles lighter so that all vehicles can get much better gas mileage.
I second Montys'point.
Currently European refineries export "byproduct" gasoline to the US.
Until the dollar value eroded this was a very sensible marketing and distributing strategy for international oil companies with downstream operations, and allowed refiners to avoid investing in new capital projects in the US, where actual environmental permit limits exist and where neighbors of refineries have a habit of resisting expansions.
Now, however, with the dollar valuation falling so drastically, I have to wonder if the margins will be eroded such that real capacities are needed stateside - in which case it may be sensible to design them to be optimized more for diesel output, European style.
As an aside, I should mention that some US refineries are set up to deal well with sulfur removal, whereas many European ones are not.
Its because they are not serious about increasing mileage and reducing emissions. These vehicles are just part of their PR campaign to convince people that they can keep on driving. They are afraid that people will realize that what is really needed is massive investment in rail, public transit and cycling which would cause auto sales to plummet.
Unfortunately, treehugger supports this PR campaign with such coverage of so called "green automobiles."
I think the problem in the US is our need for HORSEPOWER. IF we lowered the horsepower output of vehicles, we can get more MPG with some sacrifice in speed. I own a 1996 Geo Meto, 3 cylinder 1 liter at about 80 horsepower. I can still get from the mid 40 mpg to low 50's on the freeway at speeds below 65mph. IT is still carbureted. Just imagine the increase in mpg had they made it a fuel injected engine and replaced the heavier body panels in a lighter material.
Fuels not nearly high enough for people to change there driving habits yet. The 10 to 15 dollar gallon will really start to hit the disposable income. Then maybe the SUV's will quit selling and demand for small cars will increase.
What's not clear from the Treehugger article is that the BlueEFFICIENCY models are dual-fuel models. It's a natural gas / diesel hybrid or a natural gas / petrol hybrid. I can't see that being a likely candidate for US usage. By gas I mean a GAS not gasoline.
And with all due respect Monty, a Mercedes A-Class is a much larger and more practical car than the crappy 1.0l Suzuki Swift that the Chevy was based on. It's VW Golf competition, not the Swift and the 5 door model inside in the rear has more legroom than the S-class. This is not because of the high roof but because Mercedes package some of the components under the floor in a sandwich layer. Getting 50 US mpg out of it is pretty good going.
@ Jay:
My Suzuki Swift a '93 injected model, and I regularly get 50-60mpg on highway use. This is with a rebuilt motor and a few modifications so the engine breathes better.
If you want Euro cars, one of the things we have to do is allow them to be sold here.
It is not possible to make one design that meets both US and Euro specs. It's getting better, but still a bit away. We need to tell our congressmen to finally accept Euro standards like the rest of the world did in the 50's.
But manufactures are already gearing towards smaller cars, here and in Europe. Toyota and Nissan both want to hit a target of 1000KG for their small cars. That's about 500 pounds lighter than the Fit, Yaris, and Versa are currently. It's harder to hit today than earlier because of safety features, but they'll get there.
As far as America being SUV obessed, this is actually dramatically dropping. Many used car dealers have stopped accepting them because they aren't selling. Auto companies are experiencing large losses in this market segment. American's have tuned in.