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How much?	£22,791
On sale in the UK:	Now, in Germany
Engine:	2034cc 4-cyl 8v bifuel (petrol and compressed natural gas), 114bhp @ 5750rpm, 122lb ft @ 3500-4000rpm
Transmission:	Five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Performance:	12.4sec 0-62mph, 114mph, 38.7mpg, 175g/ckm CO2 (petrol), 57.6mpg, 135g/km CO2 (gas)
How heavy / made of?	1470kg/steel
How big (length/width/height in mm)?	4273/1777/1624

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Mercedes B170 NGT (2008) gas powered CAR review

By Christopher Hubbard

First Drives

25 June 2008 12:47

The initials at the end of Mercedes-Benz B 170 NGT do not stand for No Green Technology. That’s just a rumour. BMW may be thrashing Mercedes in the environmental PR stakes just now, but it doesn’t mean the big M isn’t trying. The B 170 NGT is a B-Class with a conscience. And a boot full of Natural Gas…

So, the NGT in B 170 NGT stands for Natural Gas Technology?

Yep. In addition to the regular petrol tank, the NGT has five extra fuel reservoirs – gas bottles, three stashed between the rear wheels, two below the front seats. These accept either compressed natural gas or even greener purified biogas, to provide cleaner and more economical running.

It’s actually powered by the 2.0-litre lump from the B 200. Detuned from 134bhp to match the regular 1.7-litre B 170’s 114bhp output, and modified to accept compressed gas accordingly. An extra 160kg in weight compromises performance – 0-62mph in the NGT takes 12.4 seconds using either fuel compared to 11.3 for the unleaded-only B 170. But with all tanks brimmed the NGT’s range is over 1,000km (about 621 miles).

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