- Mercedes-Benz will unveil two new hybrid versions of its midrange E-Class — one diesel, one gasoline — at the upcoming Detroit auto show in January.
- The gasoline-electric E400 Hybrid is intended initially for the U.S. market and eventually will be sold in China and Japan.
- The diesel-electric E300 Bluetec Hybrid will go on sale first in Europe, and will be available as a sedan and a wagon.
STUTTGART, Germany — Mercedes-Benz will unveil two new hybrid versions of its midrange E-Class — one diesel, one gasoline — at the upcoming 2012 Detroit Auto Show in January.
The gasoline-electric E400 Hybrid is intended initially for the U.S. market and eventually will be sold in China and Japan. The diesel-electric E300 Bluetec Hybrid will go on sale first in Europe, and will be available as a sedan and a wagon.
The heart of both models is what Mercedes-Benz calls the "intelligent modular hybrid concept," which features a lithium-ion battery pack and a 20kW electric motor that produces 184 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid powertrain can accommodate either a diesel or gasoline engine, and includes a stop/start system to enhance fuel economy and reduce emissions, as well as regenerative braking to help keep the battery charged.
The E400 Hybrid mates the electric motor to a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine rated at 302 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. The combination should achieve projected EPA fuel economy of 24 mpg in city driving and 31 mpg on the highway, compared with 20/30 for the standard 2012 Mercedes-Benz E350 sedan.
The E300 Bluetec Hybrid couples the electric motor with a 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel that makes 201 hp and 369 lb-ft. Combined fuel economy on the European test cycle is projected at 56 mpg.
Mercedes-Benz said it will be the first premium manufacturer to offer a diesel-hybrid production model in Europe.
Inside Line says: It will be interesting to see if Mercedes-Benz shares the hybrid system with Nissan — and which Nissan and Infiniti models might be the recipients.
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blackdynamite1 says:
10:17 PM, 01/03/2012
My comment might have been too harsh.
Since this is based off the standard E-Class V6, it may offer comparable performance to the M35h and GS450h
BD
gtrguy2012 says:
10:17 PM, 01/02/2012
BD, troll away.
danwilson1 says:
05:48 PM, 12/20/2011
blackdynamite1, your constant anti-Mercedes and pro-anything Toyota comments are really annoying.
If you have nothing of interest to say, then shut up. Seriously.
I failt to see how this car is third-rate, especially since it hasn't been tested yet. Of course if this were Toyota or Lexus you'd be singing praises...
motorstreet says:
03:32 AM, 12/20/2011
Why can't we have the E300 Hybrid. The U.S. model will be dumb and overpriced, the European model will get well over 50 mpg. The E400 Hybrid will get less than 30 mpg and it will be slower than the E350.
Inside Line: The E300 Hybrid has a 2.1L Twin turbo diesel I-4, not the 3.0L V6 turbo diesel.
mercedesfan says:
08:41 PM, 12/19/2011
@alex38,
It's just an optical illusion because of the angle of the photograph. The panel gaps are very tight all around except for the hood cut-line, which has always been larger than the MB norm.
qdp says:
07:01 PM, 12/19/2011
As I remember, almost 10years ago I saw MB's hybrid ad in which a little bird is flying at the MB's exhaust pipe and text said " environment resposible". Now 10years later, hope MB will come with something real.
alex38 says:
06:05 PM, 12/19/2011
Should be a nice package but that last picture with the picture of the "Hybrid" logo was interesting because of the huge panel gaps.. Would think they could tighten that up a bit..
damaje says:
04:50 PM, 12/19/2011
Bring the diesel hybrid over here!
dagmar3 says:
04:35 PM, 12/19/2011
The S400 hybrid doesn't sell in the US. Why would the E400 sell here? It won't offer any advantage over the the E350 BluTEC.
Mercedes has decades of diesel technological prowess; but their hybrid offerings are half-hearted attempts at best. What do they think they will accomplish?
panamera4 says:
04:02 PM, 12/19/2011
@mercedesfan: That is because Mercedes and most German manufactures do not really believe in gasoline-electric hybrids, they have always been very vocal about their support of diesels as a true alternative (which Japanese manufactures have not even come close to touching in terms of development). If you notice, most of the Mercedes hybrids are only offered in the US or other status conscious markets where driving a hybrid is supposedly a sign of superiority, intelligence, and living a green lifestyle. They are only offered to bring back the the buyers who used to be in their customer base but had to have a luxury hybrid and jumped shipped to the joke that was the first gen GS450h (one of my close friends was one of those aforementioned people and averaged 17mpg in his 3 years with the GS). I feel the S400 had a significant effect on the hybrid market as it introduced the lithium ion battery in a production hybrid which meant there was no intrusion of the trunk space compared to its not hybrid stablemates (I'm looking at you GS450 and LS600), a longer battery life span, and less penalty on weight. Though the S400 only contained a mild hybrid system and the drive-train and, in turn, the efficiency was taxed by being put in such a large and heavy vehicle when it should have been introduced in the E from the beginning.