Mercedes-Benz is looking to further improve fuel economy and reduce emissions by possibly introducing a three-cylinder engine into its cars.
Speaking to Car and Driver at the Geneva Motor Show last week, Mercedes powertrain chief Bernard Heil believes three-cylinder engines are doable in certain vehicles thanks to increased space and better packaging if they’re mounted transversely.
However, Heil says he is not a fan of three-cylinder engines on their own due to their increased noise, vibration and harshness levels. Rather than balancing shafts and introducing a handful of other measures which could drive up costs, Heil believes the best option would be to pair the the three-cylinder engine to an electric motor.
At this point, it’s unclear whether a three-cylinder hybrid powertrain would appear in smaller vehicles, such as the B-Class, CLA-Class and GLA-Class, but Hiel maintained we won’t see a larger Mercedes with a three-cylinder in the future.
