Mercedes-Benz has ruled out three-cylinder petrol and diesel engines for its main range of rear-drive saloons, despite rivals like BMW adopting the fuel-saving technology.
"We have looked at three-cylinder engines, but there are too many compromises, such as refinement and the savings aren’t that significant," Bernhard Heil, head of engine development said at the Geneva motor show.
Heil says Mercedes has experimented with three-cylinder engines, but the vibration and loss of refinement, particularly at low speed operation when fuel savings could be maximised, are too big a penalty to pay.
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