Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec gains nine-speed automatic transmission

Mercedes-Benz has announced a series of updates for the recently facelifted E-Class, including the adoption of a nine-speed automatic transmission.

By: Adrian Padeanu

Jul 22, 2013 at 9:33am ET

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Mercedes-Benz has announced a series of updates for the recently facelifted E-Class, including the adoption of a nine-speed automatic transmission.

The rear-wheel drive E350 BlueTec is no longer available with the seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic transmission as this has been replaced by a newly developed 9G-Tronic nine-speed 'box. Despite the change, 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) takes the same 6.6 seconds as before so there aren't any improvements in terms of performance.

However, the two additional ratios and inclusion of stop/start function have improved fuel efficiency in the combined cycle from 51.4 mpg UK (42.8 mpg US or 5.5 liters /100 km) to 53.3 mpg UK (44.3 mpg US or 5.3 liters / 100 km), while CO2 emissions are down from 144 g/km to 138 g/km.

The E350 BlueTec equipped with 9G-Tronic will return 44.1 mpg UK (36.7 mpg US or 6.4 liters / 100 km) in the city, while the 7G-Tronic model achieved 40.9 mpg UK (34 mpg US or 6.9 liters / 100 km). On the highway, figures have remained the same at 60.1 mpg UK (50 mpg US or 4.7 liters / 100 km).

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Aside from this change, Mercedes-Benz has removed the standard six-speed manual gearbox from the E220 BlueEfficiency Edition and replaced it with the aforementioned 7G-Tronic automatic transmission. As a result of this change, mpg numbers have increased from 60.1 mpg UK (50 mpg US or 4.7 liters / 100 km ) to 64.2 mpg UK (53.4 mpg US or 4.4 liters / 100 km), while CO2 emissions have been slashed from 132 g/km to 114 g/km. Thanks to these changes, the revised model is Euro 6 compliant.

The E-Class lineup will also include from now on an E200 NGD which is a natural-gas model powered by a 4-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbocharged engine taken from the B200 Natural Gas Drive. It outputs 154 bhp (115 kW) and 199 lb-ft (269 Nm) of torque which should be enough for a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time in 10.4 seconds. Mercedes-Benz says it has a combined cycle economy of 4.3 kg / 62 miles (100 km) which transformed into mpg represents 44.8 mpg UK (37.3 mpg US or 6.3 liters / 100 km).