BlueTEC is here!

BlueTEC: a green technology for luxury performance vehicles that does more for you and the planet. Plus, BlueTEC scraps the noise, odor, and dirty emissions often associated with diesel, for a quieter, more luxurious, more environmentally responsible option. Now you can go further — a couple hundred miles further, actually — with significantly lower emissions.

Mercedes-Benz developed the BlueTEC so that drivers could truly have it all — performance-oriented luxury vehicles that deliver superior fuel economy with a smaller environmental footprint, while delivering superior torque. BlueTEC is the culmination of more than 100 years spent developing, and then perfecting, diesel engine technology, from the company that invented diesels in the first place.

The super-quiet BlueTEC diesel engine is also a performance marvel, offering V-8 power in a V-6 configuration. Torque is in rich supply, up to 50 percent more in some models, making it particularly attractive when towing trailers or boats. That torque also makes BlueTEC vehicles quick "off the line," providing excellent pickup from a stop, and plenty of driving excitement.

The breakthrough innovation in a Mercedes-Benz BlueTEC engine starts with improved combustion, which makes for a more efficient use of fuel. Then, en route to the tailpipe, exhaust gases pass through filters and mix with an AdBlue additive in the catalytic converter, which converts polluting nitrogen oxides into harmless nitrogen and water. The result is a significant reduction in soot and pollutants, making BlueTEC the world's cleanest diesel engine.

If you can hold it. Diesel engines have long been recognized for their fuel efficiency. With 20 to 30 percent better fuel economy than their gasoline counterparts, driving distances are vastly improved. For example, the ML320 BlueTEC can travel 602 highway miles on a single tank, and the 7-passenger GL320 BlueTEC achieves an impressive 23 highway mpg*. Naturally, those figures also translate into fewer stops at the fuel station.

* 2009 EPA estimated fuel economy and fuel tank capacity.

BlueTEC vehicles have qualified for the same federal tax credit granted to hybrid vehicles.
The 2009 GL320, ML320, and R320 BlueTEC vehicles are all eligible for the Alternative Motor Vehicle Credit.

Maximum tax credit amounts are:
2009 ML320 BlueTEC: $900*
2009 GL320 BlueTEC: $1,800*
2009 R320 BlueTEC: $1,550*

*Actual credit availability is dependent on taxpayer income