First Three-Litre Car From DaimlerChrysler Most economical large-series vehicle and smallest passenger car diesel engine in the world After a development period lasting four years, production of the diesel engine for the smart cdi will commence in the DaimlerChrysler facility in Berlin at the beginning of September 1999. The turbo diesel with modern common rail direct injection (cdi) will have three cylinders and a cubic capacity of 800 centimetres making it the smallest diesel engine ever to be fitted in a passenger car. The smart cdi will be available from December 1999 and will cost less than DEM 20,000. Like the petrol variants, this car is also able to dispense with expensive materials making it even lighter and meaning that repair and operating costs will be correspondingly inexpensive, too. Standard diesel consumption for the smart cdi is 3.4 litres per 100 kilometres (NEFZ) which corresponds to CO2 emissions of less than 90 grams per kilometre and entitles the smart cdi to be referred to as a three-litre car. At the same time, it is the most economical large-series car in the world and will fulfil at market launch the limit values stipulated by the Euro III exhaust emission regulation which will not be coming into force at a later stage. The smart cdi reaches its maximum performance of 30 kW (40 HP) at 4,000 rpm; the 100 Nm torque is available at 2,000 rpm. Maximum speed is 135 kph and is electronically limited; the vehicle accelerates from 0 to 100 kph in 17.5 seconds.