Mercs sticks to diesels
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MERCEDES-BENZ will continue to concentrate its light vehicle marketing efforts on diesel-enoined models for 1984.
Eighty per cent of all MB UK light vehicle imports are diesel powered, a situation the company is happy to continue, despite it being at variance with the UK light vehicle market, where sales of petrol-engined units still predominate the sector.
Mercedes currently offerstwo diesel Bremen vans in the medium/heavy non-O-licence van sector up to 3.5 tonnes — the 207D and 307D powered by the 52kW (71bhp) 2.4 litre Mercedes OM 616 four-cylinder indirect injection engine built at Unterturk heim, with the biggest sales going to the 307D.
Last year MB UK sold 5,117 Bremen vans, of which 3,963 were diesel and 1,154 were petrol variants, compared with 3,249 diesel and 1079 petrol models in 1982. The majority of diesel sales were 307D vans.
Mercedes-Benz has marginally increased its market share in the medium and heavy van sector from 4.3 per cent in 1982 to 4,4 per cent in 1983, retaining its overall fifth position.