What's Under The Hood Of Mercedes-Benz Vision C 220 BLUETEC

What's Under The Hood Of Mercedes-Benz Vision C 220 BLUETEC

Last week, DaimlerChrysler AG's Mercedes-Benz luxury car division unveiled for the first time the Vision C 220 BLUETEC in front of the European crowd at the recent 77e Salon International de l'Auto Geneve (77th annual Geneva International Motor Show). The Vision C 220 BLUETEC joins the company's vehicle lineup of C-Class models. Aside from the overall sleek exterior appearance along with the car's luxurious and elegant interior amenities, the Vision C 220 BLUETEC's key feature is under its hood. The Mercedes-Benz Vision C 220 BLUETEC is equipped with the cleanest diesel engine in the world, according to the German automaker. The 4-cylinder engine is capable of pumping out 170 horsepower (125 kW) and produces 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) amount of peak torque. The engine complies with the most stringent emissions standard in the world including the EURO 6 standard and the BIN 5 emissions standard for all 50 states. Even with low fuel consumption and lower exhaust emission, the Mercedes-Benz Vision C 220 BLUETEC still offers impressive handling and driving performance.

DaimlerChrysler AG has developed the BLUTEC clean diesel technology to reduce the diesel nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions. Like all other standard Mercedes-Benz production engines, the diesel engine onboard the Vision C 220 BLUETEC has a four-cylinder powertrain system. The drivetrain includes four valves per cylinder, third-generation direct common-rail injection system, turbocharger with a variable nozzle turbine and exhaust gas recirculation. How does the BLUETEC clean diesel technology work? First, the system uses an oxidizing Mercedes-Benz catalytic converter that functions to reduce carbon monoxide (CO) and unburnd hydrocarbon (HC) contents from the exhaust. Next, another catalytic converter called the DeNOx removes oxides with the help of a particulate filter. Lastly, a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) catalytic converter converts the other nitrogen oxides into pure nitrogen and water, with the injection of AdBlue, a urea-based material that helps to the conversion process. Meanwhile, according to Mercedes-Benz, they are planning to offer three model classes equipped with BLUETEC diesel engines to roll out in the U.S. These include the R-Class crossover SUV, M-Class 4-door SUV, and the GL-Class full size luxury crossover SUV.

If sensors detect a minor front-end impact, only one chamber of the gas generator is deployed, so the bag is not filled as fully or as quickly as it is in a severe front impact. In a more severe collision, the second chamber is deployed 5 to 15 milliseconds later. A sensor mat in the front passenger seat determines if someone is in the seat and classifies their weight, which helps determine how fast to deploy the front passenger air bag. If the seat is not occupied, the sensor will deactivate the front air bag, side air bag and the seatbelt tensioner (a measure designed to reduce accident repair costs). Signals from the seat belt latches help determine how many other passengers are in the car, and where they are sitting. Side Air Bags and Curtain Air Bags, Too Another Mercedes-Benz innovation is standard-equipment side curtain air bags. Akin to an air mattress, nine air chambers in each side curtain air bag span the full distance of the side windows from front roof pillar to rear roof pillar.

In the event of a side crash, they deploy between the occupants and the door, helping primarily to reduce forces acting on the neck and head. To help protect against chest injury, side air bags for each front seat occupant are integrated into the seatbacks. While the curtain air bags reduce head and neck injuries, the side air bags help protect the chest, resulting in one bag complementing the other. In the floor of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, reinforced rocker panels transfer impact forces to two strong side members in each foot well, under the front seats and to a full-width crossmember under the rear seat. The transmission and driveshaft tunnel reinforcements also improve the transfer of forces between the front seats. At medium height, the doors themselves are stiffened with several lateral reinforcements and extremely strong door hinges. An extruded aluminum crossmember under the dashboard provides lateral structure as well as the seat frames and backrests themselves.

Finally, the C-Class roof minimizes intrusion, thanks to A-, B- and C-pillars with three-shell construction - or concentric posts - through their full height. The roof frame itself is also made of this three-shell construction. All this front and side impact protection is repeated in the rear, even in an offset rear-end impact at high speed. Safety encompasses far more than surviving impact. The best type of crash is one a driver can avoid altogether. To that end, the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class uses outstanding suspension and brake design to yield outstanding agility in emergency maneuvers. Also, through a variety of sensors, a triangle in the middle of the instrument panel warns the driver when the car has reached the limits of adhesion and handling. 3. Impact AbsorptionIf an impact is unavoidable, the vehicle should protect its occupants, and - Mercedes-Benz believes - protect occupants of another vehicle by absorbing impact energy in a progressive manner.