This is the most powerful saloon of its kind in the world. No, we didn’t use the wrong picture and we aren’t referring to some AMG-fettered, V8 twin-turbo monster Mercedes. This is the E200 NGT, a bi-fuel version of the popular E-Class. It runs on compressed natural gas (CNG) as well as petrol.
Regarded as a minor and interim technology, few car manufacturers invest in developing CNG alternatives. And among the handful of models in production today, the 163bhp from the supercharged 1.8-litre engine in the NGT is as much as what you’d get from a four-door saloon.
Unlike 2008’s Chevrolet Optra CNG, which is a factory-backed CNG conversion based on the standard 1.6-litre saloon, the NGT is built from the ground up as a bi-fuel car. (Volvo brought in its bi-fuel cars for tests previously, but they were never made for sale.)
By engineering the CNG system into the car at the manufacturing point, this allows for a truly seamless integration of the technology.
With the NGT, part of the CNG storage capacity is neatly packaged into the E-Class’ spare tyre well. The remaining portion takes up a small fraction of the boot, leaving a still sizeable 400 litres of space for luggage and golf bags.
In the cabin, CNG hardware is invisible to the occupants. The satellite controls on the steering wheel, which manipulate the stereo and trip computer control functions, allow you to access the menu to switch between gas and petrol. When it comes to fuelling up, the gas nozzle is sited just beside the petrol-filler spout, instead of under the bonnet as in other converted cars.
With the gas capacity packed to the 18kg maximum and the 65-litre tank brimmed with petrol, the NGT is said to have an operating range of nearly 1,000km, which is more than the 700km to 800km average of most CNG-converted cars.
On nearly every façade, the NGT is as good as the popular petrol-only E200 Kompressor. It’s just as sombre and stately looking (for those who like their cars to look sombre and stately). It pretty much drives like any E200, which is a really comfortable and relaxing experience to have.
So you see, it doesn’t matter if it really is “the most powerful bi-fuel saloon in the world”. The point is, it works.
Mercedes-Benz E200 NGT 1.8 (A)
ENGINE 1796cc, 16-valves, inline-4, supercharged
MAX POWER 163bhp at 6400rpm
MAX TORQUE 240Nm at 3600rpm
GEARBOX 5-speed automatic
0-100km/h 10.7 seconds (petrol mode), 10.8 seconds (CNG mode)
TOP SPEED 227km/h
CONSUMPTION 11.1km/L (combined)
CO2 EMISSION Not available
PRICE INCL. COE Not applicable
