Mercedes-Benz is shifting to new straight-six engines

During the recent 2018 Detroit Auto Show, Mercedes-AMG revealed to us the new CLS53 and E53. Both of these were equipped with the same 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged inline six engine, with a light electrification system that the automaker refers to as the EQ Boost. This motor, according to Road & Track, will likely find its way into other future models.

The V6 engines will soon be phased out. This is being implemented so that the automaker can prioritize Mercedes-Benz’s straight six engines, referring primarily to the M256 motor. Ola Källenius, Mercedes Benz’s Research and Development, said that this change has to do with the emergence of four cylinder engines.

Källenius said that currently, four-cylinder engines are considered to be the most dominating engine formula for the world, and it just makes sense to add the straight six engines into that. Unlike before, the old strategy was to offer both the V8 and V6 in the same model.

It is beginning to make sense to us now. Since Mercedes is starting to shift to putting four cylinder engines into base vehicles, it is just right to have inline six motors that share the same architecture with two or more cylinders in models that are higher up the range.

When it comes to producing these engines, both the four cylinder and six cylinder are branches of the same tree, according to Källenius. Both engines essentially come with a similar combustion chamber, with the same cylinder distance of 90 millimeters. It should also be pointed out that these two engines can be assembled on the same production line.

Mercedes-Benz will likely take their time when they begin shifting to inline six engines. In fact, some models are definitely not among those that plan to get the motor. The automaker says that the C-Class will likely not have the same motor. One model that will definitely be equipped with this, though, would be the E53 sedan that will replace the E43 model.

So for those of you who have been Mercedes fans for a long time now, we suggest that you get used to the inline-six engines as early as now, as most of their future models will probably carry this.

From what we know, engineers would always choose an inline six engine over a V6 because of several reasons. One of them would be the fact that it has better noise, vibration, and harshness qualities. But in this case, it is different. Mercedes simply thinks that four-cylinders are so popular.

As mentioned earlier, as Mercedes redesigns the C Class lineup and SUV lineup, the inline-six will likely find its way through the rest of the portfolio.