A-to-Z Guide to Green: Hot Mild Hybrids
April 1, 2008
Mercedes-Benz’ planet-hugging pitch includes two hybrid versions of its imperious S-Class sedan. The S300 Hybrid makes the remarkable claim of 44 mpg—roughly the consumption of a Toyota Prius—by combining a 2.2-liter turbo diesel with a high-torque hybrid module, for a total of 224 hp and a healthy 413 ft lbs of torque. The S400 Bluetec Hybrid mates a 3-liter diesel with an electric motor to deliver 265 hp and 465 ft lbs of torque. The company said the diesel-electric S-Class would sip fuel at 40 mpg on the highway and still scoot from zero-to-60 mph in a reasonable 7.2 seconds. Both the S300 and S400 are so-called "mild hybrids," whose electric motors supplement the gasoline engine, but cannot propel the car on electricity alone.
While the S300 is bound for Europe around 2010, Mercedes-Benz is convinced that Americans will have no part of a 4-cylinder S-Class, however efficient. Instead, U.S. buyers will see an S400 Hybrid in 2009 with a stronger, 3.5-liter gasoline V-6.
This August, the ML45 SUV is set to become the first Mercedes-Benz hybrid on our shores. It combines the current ML320’s 3.5-liter gasoline V-6 with the two-mode hybrid system that Mercedes-Benz developed with General Motors, BMW, and Chrysler, for peaks of 340 hp and 354 ft lbs of torque. The ML is a "full hybrid" that can run solely on its electric motor and batteries, at lower speeds. Moreover, Mercedes-Benz claims the ML450 will achieve roughly 35 mpg, which would easily make it America’s most frugal midsize SUV.
Mercedes-Benz, www.mbusa.com
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