Considering North America's bittersweet relationship with diesel-powered vehicles, it's a bit unusual to develop a diesel sedan exclusively for the New World. Still, that's exactly what Mercedes-Benz did with its E250 Bluetec concept.
The ingredients, however, are strictly European. In order to create the E250 Bluetec concept, Mercedes-Benz essentially took the 2.2-liter turbo-diesel I-4 from the Euro-exclusive C250, and dropped it straight into its latest E-class sedan. It's smaller than the turbo-diesel V-6 previously offered in the E320 Bluetec, but its power figures - 204 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque - are remarkably similar.
The smaller motor, however, does return better fuel economy figures than the E320. Mated to a seven-speed automatic, the E250 Bluetec is capable of 28/39 mpg city/highway, although Mercedes indicates the real world highway figure may improve. In comparison, the E320 is rated by the EPA at 23/32 mpg city/highway.
Mercedes may consider the E250 to be a concept, but given the car's ability to meet both EPA Bin 5 and European EU6 emission standards, we think there's a good chance it could arrive stateside sometime in the near future.