Dieter Zetsche wants Mercedes-Benz to be ‘efficiency world champions’
At a recent press conference at the Paris Motor Show, Daimler CEO, Dieter Zetsche, said he will do the "unthinkable" to get Mercedes-Benz into top position as most fuel efficient premium car brand.
To do this, the company has to overtake both BMW and Audi. Quite a big task as both companies have some sort of efficiency initiative currently underway; BMW's EfficientDynamics and Audi's various Volkswagen 'BlueMotion' derivatives. Mercedes-Benz only has a small number of hybrid and electric 'projects' running.
Zetsche said the company will overtake and it will do it by introducing more hybrid models as well as a four cylinder variant of the range-topping S-Class. Only previously ever available in a six-cylinder as a minimum, the four cylinder S-Class will be the first for the marque in over 50 years.
Mercedes-Benz boss, Dieter Zetsche, is serious and very confident about the changes, saying,
"Some might call this sacrilege - we call it progress. We want to be efficiency world champions, and we will be."
The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is apparently ready for order in Europe, using the C-Class and E-Class 2.2-litre diesel engine. The engine uses just 5.7L/100km and emits 149 grams of CO2 per kilometre.
Zetsche and Mercedes-Benz are yet to mention a specific time frame or deadline for the new company focus, but they are keeping in mind BMW's target of slashing its fleet CO2 emissions by 25 percent by 2020.