Hi Guenter,

That's correct.

It's marketing, serving IMHO mainly two purposes:

A) The new technology would not be so noticeable if the
  car (E-Class) would remain the E320 CDI designation

B) The fact it is a diesel is not so obvious

At least here in Germany most MB buyers order their
cars without any model designations on the rear.
In case there are model designations on the rear,
the normal E320 CDI has _E320_ on the left of the
trunk lid and _DIESEL_ on the right, whilst the
bluetec car has _E320_ on the left and _BLUETEC_
on the right.

The DC press text for the E320 BLUETEC:

With the E 320 BLUETEC, Mercedes-Benz is launching a
new era in diesel technology the USA

Stuttgart/Las Vegas, Sep 06, 2006
Spiralling fuel prices have also increased the demand
for economical, clean cars in the USA. Mercedes-Benz
is launching the new E 320 BLUETEC on October 15,
timed to coincide with the introduction of low-sulphur
diesel fuel in the USA. This model is also one of the
most economical vehicles in its class and is regarded
by experts as the pioneer of a new diesel era.
“The introduction of clean diesel fuel in the USA
represents an opportunity we have been battling for
long and hard, the sort of opportunity we intend to
utilise fully from day one”, explained Dr Thomas Weber,
head of Development at DaimlerChrysler AG and at the
Mercedes Car Group, during the E 320 BLUETEC
presentation in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background:
state-of-the-art diesel vehicles, which already
account for more than half of annual new registrations
in Western Europe, have not yet realised their full
potential in the USA due to excessive sulphur levels
in existing fuel. All that is about to change with the
nationwide introduction of clean diesel fuel with a
sulphur content of just 15 ppm. “Ultra Low Sulphur
Diesel” (ULSD) will be on sale at up to 76,000 US
filling stations during the initial stage and will
help promote the adoption of BLUETEC. This innovative
diesel technology will also enable Mercedes-Benz to
meet the world's most stringent emission limits for
nitrogen oxides, providing the right conditions for
state-of-the art diesel technology to make its mark
in the USA.

“BLUETEC power is about to win many friends in North
America as soon as US customers get behind the wheel
of a car like the E 320 BLUETEC”, says Dr Thomas Weber.
“Our 208 hp three-litre V6 develops eight-cylinder-like
torque of 400 pounds feet (540 Nm) combined with the
sort of economy you get from a four-cylinder engine
in everyday use.” The combined consumption of just
6.7 l/ 100 km (35 miles per US gallon) provides a
range of 700 miles (around 1200 km) without having
to refuel.

Ultra-modern diesel vehicles provide their owners
with assured, clean and economical driving pleasure
and can potentially – given a sufficiently large
uptake – make national economies less dependent on
oil imports. An EPA study dating back to 2004
confirmed the enormous potential savings inherent
in diesel. Margo Oge, Director of the Office of
Transportation and Air Quality, came up with the
following calculation: if just a third of the
light-duty vehicles in the USA were state-of-the-art
diesel vehicles, we would be looking at saving
1.4 million barrels a day, the equivalent quantity
of oil the USA imports from Saudi Arabia every day.

With no end in sight to soaring fuel prices, experts
predict a greater uptake of diesel around the globe.
The recent J.D. Power study “Global Outlook For Diesel”
forecasts that the current global diesel market share
of 18 percent is set to reach around 30 percent in
2015: diesel vehicles are expected to account for over
15 percent of new registrations in North America.

Additional BLUETEC models in the USA and Europe
by 2008

Against this background, Mercedes-Benz intends to
systematically broaden its BLUETEC portfolio.
Dr Weber: “In addition to the E 320 BLUETEC we aim
to have another three BLUETEC models in the line-up
as early as 2008 that meet the 50-state BIN 5
standard in the R-Class, ML-Class and the GL Class.”
Following its launch in the USA, Mercedes-Benz intends
to successively roll out BLUETEC in other markets. At
present the technology is being adapted to European
market requirements and other Mercedes Benz models.
The company’s European customers should have the
option of BLUETEC in a passenger car by 2008 at the
very latest. Meanwhile the Jeep Grand Cherokee BLUETEC
concept is a perfect example of how other
DaimlerChrysler brands can also leverage BLUETEC.

BLUETEC is a modular emission control system that reduces
nitrogen oxides. Diesel engine design means nitrogen
oxide is currently the only emissions constituent that
exceeds the equivalent figure for a petrol unit.
Mercedes-Benz has developed BLUETEC in two versions: in
the E-Class an oxidation-type catalytic converter and
particulate filter are combined with an improved,
extremely durable NOx trap system and an additional SCR
catalytic converter. The second BLUETEC version is even
more efficient. Here, AdBlue, a non-toxic aqueous
solution, is injected into the exhaust-gas stream, causing
ammonia to be released. In the downstream SCR catalytic
converter the ammonia then converts up to 80 percent of
the nitrogen oxides into the harmless natural products of
nitrogen and water. The specific vehicle concept and
weight as well as the deNOx requirements determine which
BLUETEC system is used. In principle, BLUETEC is capable
of meeting the world’s most stringent exhaust emission
standards.

©1998-2006 DaimlerChrysler. All rights reserved.
End of DC press text

Juergen