Africa to England – four countries, two continents, three times zones. From Tangier to Goodwood is some 1968kms and a standard road-registered Mercedes-Benz E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid has just completed that journey on one tank diesel.
In fact, when motoring journalist Andrew Frankel and his co-driver arrived at the Goodwood Festival of Speed after driving the ‘Benz from Morocco, through Spain and France and then through the English countryside, the fuel gauge said the E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid still had 160kms of fuel left (it was fitted with the European optional 80-litre fuel tank).
While the duo drove as fuel-efficient as possible during the 27-hour trip, peak-hour traffic, rain, high European summer temperatures and significant altitude changes had negative impacts on consumption.
Nevertheless the Mercedes-Benz E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid averaged 3.8l/100kms for the journey.
Despite its fuel-miserly performance, the Mercedes-Benz E 300 BlueTEC Hybrid is now slouch with the 150kW four-cylinder diesel and 20kW electric motor propelling the prestige mid-size sedan from zero to 100km/h in 7.1 seconds.
