In an odd twist, we’d quickly see BMW engines powering Mercedes-Benz automobiles. In keeping with a rumor first reported by German publication Supervisor Magazin, the tri-star model is in talks with BMW to buy four-cylinder motors for its lineup beginning in 2027.
The engine—more likely to be a by-product of the turbocharged 2.0-liter B48 utilized in just about each present BMW mannequin—would fill a spot within the Mercedes lineup as a PHEV motor or vary extender, in line with Autocar. The B48, manufactured in Steyr, Austria, additionally affords extra flexibility, because it’s designed for use in longitudinal and transverse layouts, making it appropriate for a variety of compact and mid-size Mercedes fashions.
We have reached out to Mercedes and BMW for remark. We’ll be sure you replace this text when both responds.
These paying shut consideration to the enterprise of engines will know Mercedes simply launched a brand new four-cylinder, the M252. It is at the moment provided within the CLA and paired with a mild-hybrid system. So why not simply use that?
Nicely, that engine reportedly is not well-suited to work with plug-in hybrid tech, and it is inbuilt China, which means probably excessive tariff prices for US-bound fashions. This rumored partnership may additionally imply a shared engine plant within the US, in line with Autocar, side-stepping tariffs fully.
The rumor comes as Mercedes continues to rejigger its lineup amidst slowing EV uptake globally. The corporate promised in 2021 that it will be going EV-only by 2030, earlier than strolling again that promise in 2024. In an interview final yr, CEO Ola Källenius mentioned the corporate’s inner combustion know-how will now “final nicely into the 2030s.”
Supplying engines to different producers is commonplace for BMW. The corporate already builds engines for Morgan, Ineos, and Vary Rover. Within the case of the Toyota Supra, it provides the engine and plenty of different elements, and collaborates on manufacturing. But when this take care of Mercedes emerges as true, it will be the primary time two of Germany’s luxurious automotive giants shared powertrains on such a scale.
