Mercedes wins an award from PORSCHE for its low NOx emissions OM654 Diesel engine

Mercedes-Benz has won the 2017 Professor Ferdinand Porsche Prize – awarded by Vienna University of Technology – for its OM654 four-cylinder diesel engine.

Mercedes has won the 2017 Professor Ferdinand Porsche Prize for its latest OM654 four-cylinder diesel engine. which might seem a bit odd.

But this ward is made by the Vienna University of Technology and has been named after Ferdinand Porsche by his daughter, Louise Piech, who funds the award – which has been going since 2017 – and which seems to be completely impartial.

In fact, the Porsche award has been won my Mercedes on a number of previous occasions, including for ABS, the Airbag and ESP.

But the award for the OM654 must be particularly pleasing for Mercedes, which hasn’t had the best of luck with previous diesel engine – the OM651 was particularly problematic for some time.

But this award celebrates the OM654, which seems to have redeemed Mercedes’ reputation, delivering extraordinarily low levels of NOx emissions both in the lab and the real world (according to Auto Motor und Sport), and has been praised for its clever technology.

That includes exhaust treatment technology acting directly on the engine as well as a new combustion process to deliver an engine which is truly frugal and clean.

Already available in the latest Mercedes E220d, the OM654 will be rolled out across much of Mercedes’ range, perhaps with a sticker on the engine saying “Recommended by Porsche”?!