Aluminum Block for Mercedes’ Euro-4 Diesel

2 February 2005

The new Mercedes Euro-4 diesel engine (earlier post) uses an aluminum engine block supplied by Hydro, a leading manufacturer of aluminum applications for the auto industry.

This marks the first aluminum V-block for a high-performance passenger diesel in large scale production—proving that aluminum can withstand the extreme pressures in this kind of engine. Mercedes already has orders for more than 200,000 of the Hydro aluminum V-block.

With this first high-volume order, we are fulfilling our promise of two years ago: that aluminum is able to build the core of high-performing diesels and, at increased performance, is helping to save weight and space in yet another application.

—Dieter J. Braun, President Hydro Aluminum Automotive.

Hydro also provided the first diesel engine block made from aluminum—used in the Volkswagen 3-liter Lupo.

The Mercedes engine is the most compact engine architecture in its class and offers a performance-weight ratio of 0.79 kW/kg, 20% better than its 5-cylinder inline predecessor. Even with cast-in rough iron liners to ensure high thermal conductivity and low friction for the engine run, the block still is more than 35 kg (77 lbs) lighter than a comparable iron block.

The Mercedes engine features a number of developments—such as the mechanical design and engineering of the engine block and cylinders, enhancements in the fuel system, and enhancements in the engine control software—that highlight what can be done to make internal combustion engines more efficient.

This successor to the five and six-cylinder in-line engines increases output and torque up to more than 30% while maintaining fuel consumption at the level of its predecessors and improving the emissions profile.