Mercedes-Benz may not use three-cylinder engines on its rear-wheel drive models, but it will offer this type of powerplants on future hybrid versions of its compact FWD vehicles. Bernard Heil, head of powertrain development for parent company Daimler, said the engines’ small size represents an advantage for transverse-mounted hybrid powertrains.
“In packaging a hybridized engine in the front end, the four-cylinder engine has its limitations,” Heil told Autonews Europe. However, Mercedes-Benz engineers are not convinced three-cylinder engines are a good idea for the brand, with the carmaker’s rear-wheel-drive vehicles sticking with four-cylinder engines and up, even in hybrid models, as those cars offer more room for longitudinally mounted engines.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class, E-Class and S-Class sedans are designed to house bigger engines, and a hybrid combined with a four-cylinder unit does not pose packaging problems.
Three-cylinder engines will arrive in Mercedes-Benz vehicles at in about two years from now, with Heil also saying Daimler plans to offer a small gasoline engine developed jointly with Renault.
Mercedes-Benz already offers a Renault 1.5-liter turbodiesel engine in its compact cars sold in Europe. Both the three- and four-cylinder engines being co-developed with Renault are designed to fit into the compact A-Class, B-Class, CLA and GLA (pictured).
By Dan Mihalascu
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