Published April 7, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
The Mercedes-Benz S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY was declared the 2012 World Green Car during the New York International Auto Show.
The Mercedes-Benz S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY was chosen from an initial entry list of 23 new vehicles from all over the world, then three finalists: the Mercedes-Benz S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, the Ford Focus Electric, and the Peugeot 3008 Hybrid.
This is the second time in World Green Car history that a Mercedes-Benz technology has won this prestigious honor. The Mercedes-Benz E 320 BlueTEC technology was the 2007 World Green Car winner.
The S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY is powered by a four-cylinder diesel unit with direct injection and turbocharging. It has a displacement of 2,143 cc (2.1 liter), from which it delivers 204 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, with a fuel consumption rating of 5.7 l/100 km combined (41.26 mpg).
Mercedes’ win this year is a repeat performance for its clean diesel technology following the 2007 World Green Car Award given to the Mercedes BlueTEC E320. The World Green Car competition factored in tailpipe emissions, fuel consumption, and use of a major advanced power plant technology (beyond engine components), aimed specifically at increasing the vehicle's environmental responsibility.
To be eligible for the overall World Car award, the candidates had to have been available for sale on at least two continents during the period beginning Jan. 1, 2011 and ending May 30, 2012. Vehicles were selected and voted on by an international jury panel comprised of 64 top-level automotive journalists from 25 countries around the world.
