New Mercedes-Benz ML 450 Hybrid

Another news item from the New York Auto Show is the Mercedes-Benz ML 450 Hybrid. Mercedes’s hybrid technology not only comes to the S-Class, but this SUV will also use it to achieve lower consumption figures.

The new MB ML 450 Hybrid features a 3.5-litre combustion engine producing 280 CV and running on the Atkinson cycle (like the Prius), which is supported by two electric motors powered by a liquid-cooled nickel-metal hydride battery. Although the electric motor is low-powered (2.4 kWh), combined with the combustion engine it reaches a maximum of 335 CV and 517 Nm of torque when the battery is fully charged.

The hybrid system of the ML 450 Hybrid is quite complex and it can run fully in electric mode, fully on the combustion engine, or a combination of both. The ML 450 Hybrid has two electric motors and four clutches that engage or disengage depending on driving conditions.

Thanks to the hybrid system, the consumption and emissions of the ML 450 Hybrid have been reduced by 60%, and it achieves 10.89 l/100 km on the road and 8.9 l/100 km in the city. Good figures for a vehicle of its size, considering its weight and that it features a 335 CV engine, capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.8 seconds.

For now it is aimed at the American market, but it will possibly not take long to reach Europe, where many of its rivals are already finalising their respective hybrid versions, such as the VW Touareg Hybrid or a very probable BMW X5 Hybrid.

Source | Mercedes-Benz