A 12.8-litre DD13 engine was showcased yesterday, and, whilst in DD guise it is aimed at North American markets, the new engine, which will replace the MBE4000 is not going to be too far away from that which looks likely to be launched in Europe in 2010.

DD13 will be available with power ratings between 350 to 450 bhp and 1,350 to 1,650 lb.-ft. of torque. Unlike the DD15, the newest member of the family will not use turbo-compounding, because Detroit Diesel engineers wanted to allow for rear-PTO capabilities. The DD13 shares 65% of its parts with its larger sibling.

The DD13 weighs about 180 kg less than the DD15, albeit it's slightly heavier than the MBE4000. Detroit Diesel Director of Marketing David Siler said the engine boasts a wide sweet spot and pulls down to 1,100 RPM. Its peak torque band is 500 RPM wide, Siler said. It also features an enhanced cooling system that minimizes fan-on time, saving fuel.

Another benefit of the DD13 is its extended service intervals. The engine can go up to 50,000 miles before requiring routine maintenance such as oil and filter replacements. The DD13 will initially be available in Sterling and Freightliner trucks beginning in 2009. Western Star will receive the engine in 2010, presumably c/w SCR kit in order to comply with EPA 10.

And Mercedes-Benz? We hear talk of a HDEP launch in 2010, and this suggests to us that Daimler is hoping for a draw forward of Euro VI through incentivization at or before his point. This would be welcome if only because it might do something to stimulate the falling demand now very visible in many major European truck markets.  Where the fun might really start is with the incentivization of not just Euro VI, but also of EEV engines; it is possible to envisage a situation in which manufacturers will be required to supply three different engine emission levels to a single European market, something that we suggest that they might be rather keen to avoid. However, if Daimler does make a Euro VI engine available in 2010, we can't really see any other way forward.