Showroom
Long-Distance Test: Seven Fuel-Efficient Days on Route 66
Two smart fortwo models and a Mercedes-Benz E-Class demonstrated that they belong to the world’s most climate-friendly cars in a long-distance test drive from Los Angeles to the 2008 Detroit Auto Show (via Chicago). During the journey, the vehicles displayed outstanding fuel-saving qualities in everyday real-world conditions.
The smart cdi required only 3.9 liters of diesel per 100 kilometers to cover the 4,400 km route. The fortwo cdi is the world’s smallest vehicle with a diesel direct injection engine, which in this case delivers 33 kW/45 hp. The smart micro hybrid drive (mhd) that participated in the test consumed only 4.8 liters of gasoline per 100 km. This impressive figure for the one-liter gasoline engine, which has an output of 52 kW/71 hp, is due to a new start/stop function that switches off the engine during idling phases.
The E 320 BlueTEC business sedan (U.S. version) also performed well: the vehicle’s three-liter V6 engine (165 kW/224 hp) consumed an average of just 5.8 liters of diesel per 100 km.
Media representatives from Germany, Italy, and the U.S. took turns driving along the route, which included lonesome highways, desert roads, high mountain passes, and congested urban streets.
Download
