Mercedes develops new petrol engine with diesel technology

Mercedes-Benz is preparing to display several new frugal drivetrain concepts at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the latest being a new ‘DiesOtto’ engine that will be revealed for the first time later this month. The new engine features engine concepts that characterize both diesel and petrol motors, and promises to be as clean as petrol engines but as efficient as diesels.

The technology is similar to Volkswagen’s recently announced Gasoline Compression Ignition system, which works by using spark plugs during start-up and hard acceleration, while relying on sparkless compression ignition, like a diesel, during low load situations.

A Mercedes official explained that VW’s technology is still several years away because it requires a special synthetic fuel that’s still in development, while the Mercedes will run on regular petrol.