REVIEW: MERCURY 260 TDI V6 DIESEL INBOARD By: John Willis, Photography by: Alison Kuiter Date: 28.05.2014 The new Mercury Diesel 260 TDI V6 inboard shows compact diesels are now a solid proposition for trailerable boats. Marine industry giant Mercury Marine has enthusiastically embraced Volkswagen’s recent compact diesel research in producing its new range of Mercury TDI diesel inboards. So I jumped at the invitation to test a 3.0L 260hp V6, fitted to a Kiwi-built Rayglass 2350 Hard Top on a fairly wet and blustery day at Melbourne’s National Water Sports Centre. The Mercury 260 TDI V6 with a Bravo 3 leg was just what I’d been wishing for. And yep, I got that right – it’s marketed as a Mercury Diesel, not a MerCruiser. Finally, a diesel with the noise levels of a petrol inboard, exceptionally light weight, premium levels of safety, and power to burn. We fired up the Rayglass and they set me free to have a proper play. My commercial boat background always endears me to diesel engines but I’ve rarely been completely satisfied with previous attempts from most brands. They’ve always left me wanting more in some way; either through a lack of performance, unacceptable induction noise, or that deepdown-diesel-throb that often becomes amplified in small trailer

ENGINE PERFORMANCE Turn the key and the engine idles with a confident murmur until you plant the throttles. There’s only a microsecond of delay before the power begins to impress. I was pleased with the performance within five seconds of planting the throttle – this is a diesel with real difference. The acceleration is endless right through the rev range, with a number of noticeable power bands thrusting this little beauty right up to Wide Open Throttle – an impressive 38kts at 4170rpm. That’s a whisker over 70kmh or nearly 44mph for old fellas like me. In any language, it’s more than enough...

HANDLING AND RIDE Now when it comes to noise levels I’d rather talk about my experience than quote figures. The Mercury specifications tell us it achieves 70dB, which sounds very low but doesn’t define the parameters or testing conditions that resulted in this figure. What does matter to me, is that the Mercury diesel has a really satisfying note for a compact diesel. It has very little induction whistle, and a sweet turbo pitch singing away softly, yet assuredly. There’s no deep down throb or nasty harmonic. We took the big girl through her paces in a series of steep high speed turns and the...

HIGHS • Quiet - nice engine note • Effortless direct power through the range • Fuel efficient • No diesel smell or fume • Compact • Lightweight LOWS • Microsecond of delay from standing start Very little change in performance with added weight Five passengers + 180lt fuel SUPPLIED BY Rayglass Boats, 7 Paisley Place, Mt Wellington, Auckland Phone +64 9 573 7979 Email [email protected] Web rayglass.co.nz