A cost-saving luxury vehicle

But the following year, big relief came for Mercedes marketers as sales jumped to 586 units or 34 per cent of E-Class sales, a proof that even luxury-car buyers also enjoy a big discount on fuel costs, and are willing to take a cue at the forever-busy natural gas stations.

Sales of the E 200 NGT kept on growing, to 690 units (46 per cent market share) in 2008 and 1,102 units (65 per cent share) in 2009, when Mercedes offered a highly attractive promotion at the Bangkok International Motor Show, helping customers save as much as Bt700,000 when purchasing one of these cars, which were entering the end of the production cycle.

Now, with the new E-Class having been launched for quite some time, the German luxury-car maker has again introduced the natural-gas version, which is also called the E 200 NGT like its predecessor.

Having driven the old E 200 NGT, I was pretty sure that the new model, priced at an attractive Bt3.549 million (the previous model was sold for Bt3.75-Bt4.14 million during its life cycle), would be as impressive, particularly with the performance when switching between petrol and natural gas modes.

And I wasn’t disappointed. The supercharged 1.8-litre 4-cylinder engine, with 163hp and 240Nm, revs smoothly in either mode, and doesn’t show a drop in performance when running on natural gas. There aren’t any jerks while switching between fuels either, with the transition being silky-smooth.

The NGT engine has been carried over from the previous generation and underwent improvements resulting in even lower fuel consumption, and comes with a 5-speed automatic transmission. Acceleration from 0-100km/h takes 10.4 seconds and the car goes all the way to a top speed of 224km/h.

In petrol mode, the average fuel consumption is claimed at 8.1-8.5 litres/100km (11.7-12.3km/litre) in petrol mode and 5.5-5.7kgs/100km (17.5-18.1 km/kg) in natural gas mode.

The car also comes with the BlueEFFICIENCY badge, and boasts a 20-per-cent reduction in carbon-dioxide emission to only 149g/km.

During the test-drive event, journalists started off in natural-gas mode from the Benz TTC showroom in Pattanakarn and headed for the X2 boutique hotel in Rayong.

While Mercedes offers a wide range of engine choices for the E-Class, the NGT version will appeal to fleet operators, as well as customers who don’t require much performance.

Having said that, I’m not implying that the E 200 NGT is under-powered. The acceleration figures may not seem impressive with not much torque being offered, but you must also consider that this is a big car with a pretty small engine, and still tops at over 220km/h. The point to consider here is really the big chunk of savings in fuel cost when you run in natural-gas mode (as much as 50 per cent lower).

The operating range for natural-gas mode is about 360km, meaning that with both fuels topped up, the car can cover more than 1,000km without refueling. The car is also highly comfortable to be in, with plenty of interior space as well as a soft and supple ride. Vibrations from cracks and bumps on the road are absorbed effectively, giving the E 200 NGT excellent ride comfort, even at high speeds.

There’s a small setback as the gas tanks take up some space in the trunk, which now has a capacity of 400 litres compared to the original 540 litres. The additional natural gas components also make it as heavy as the E 250 CDI at 1,735kg. There are three tanks, one is located behind the rear seat backrest and the other two under the boot floor, with a combined capacity of 121 litres or 19.5kgs.

Like the petrol versions, the E 200 NGT also come with a long list of safety features including Pre-Safe, Ateention Assist (drowsiness detection system), Neck-Pro head restraints and lots of airbags.

In general people don’t really take environmental protection as a priority in life. That’s why governments need to formulate laws that support automobiles that are more eco-friendly. So, apart from the lower fuel cost, buyers of the E 200 NGT also enjoy a discount for excise duty, down from 30 per cent to just 20 per cent.

I have no doubt that the E 200 NGT will surely become another top-selling model from Mercedes-Benz, which will help it secure leadership in the luxury market for another year.

 

Mercedes-Benz E 2 NGT specs

 

Engine: 4-cylinder 16-valve with supercharger

Displacement: 1,796cc

Bore and stroke: 82x85mm

Compression ratio: 9.3:1

Max power: 163hp/5,500rpm

Max torque: 240Nm/3,000-4,000rpm

Transmission: 5-speed automatic

Ratios: 3.95/2.42/1.49/1.00/0.83

Final drive ratio: 3.27

0-100km/h: 10.4 secs

Top speed: 224km/h

Suspension (f/r): multi-link, AIRMATIC air suspension with electronically-controlled damping system, stabilizer/multi-link, coil springs, gas-filled shocks, stabiliser

Steering: powered rack and pinion, steering damper

Turning circle: 11.25 metres

Brakes (f/r): vented disc/vented disc with ABS, Brake Assist, ESP Dimensions (mm)

Length: 4,868

Width: 1,854

Height: 1,470

Wheelbase: 2,874

Track (f/r): 1,600/1,619

Weight (kg): 1,735kg 

Wheels: 17-in alloy

Tires: 245/45 R17

Fuel tank capacity (liters): 80 litres

Price: Bt3.549 million

Distributor: Mercedes-Benz (Thailand)

 

Fuel consumption

Natural gas: 5.5-5.7kg/100km (17.5-18.1 km/kg)

Petrol: 8.1-8-5 l/100km (11.7-12.3km/litre)

 

CO2 emissions

Natural gas: 149-155 g/km 

Petrol: 190-198 g/km

Combined range: over 1,000km