<strong>High Gas Prices Drive Effort to Remake SUVs</strong>

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Putting A Muzzle On Guzzlers

High Gas Prices Drive Effort to Remake SUVs

By Jonathan Welsh

Diesel power is another way to boost fuel economy, and Mercedes-Benz this year rolled out diesel versions of three of its largest vehicles. The GL 320 CDI sport utility is rated at 20 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway, compared with 15/19 for the gasoline version that went on sale last year. Although the six-cylinder diesel generates less horsepower than the eight-cylinder gasoline engine, it produces more torque -- the energy that gets the vehicle moving quickly from a standstill and gives it a peppier feel at low speeds.

Mercedes hopes the fuel-efficiency improvement is enough to persuade wavering consumers, especially those with growing families, to buy the $52,400 seven-passenger SUV.

The company also added a diesel version of its ML-class medium-size SUV, which was the model with which the company entered the sport-utility fray in the U.S. Once a big seller, the ML had also suffered in recent years, with sales falling 40% to 31,632 last year from 52,764 in 2000.



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