Mercedes-Benz Hybrid Changes the Green SUV Game
High-end hybrid buyers will finally have an option other than Lexus when it comes to imported luxury sport-utility vehicles, as Mercedes-Benz threw their hat into the green arena with the announcement of the Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid. Based on the popular M-Class SUV which was responsible for jump-starting the upscale truck trend in the 1990's, the ML450 is the very first hybrid vehicle available in the United States from a German manufacturer.
Until now, both Mercedes-Benz and Audi have preferred to use diesel powertrains when it comes to reducing fuel consumption and improving environmental impact, while BMW has largely stayed out of the ecologically-friendly market altogether. Still, with the limited acceptance of diesel-powered vehicles in North America and the growing movement which has placed itself firmly behind gasoline / electric hybrids, the decision to employ such technology was inevitable for the luxury giant.
The ML450 will go on display at the New York International Auto Show, and will go on sale later in 2009. From an engineering stand point, the Mercedes-Benz SUV is quite similar to other hybrids, making use of an Atkinson-cycle V6 engine that displaces 3.5 liters and combines with an electric motor to produce an impressive 335 horsepower. The vehicle can be operated exclusively on battery power at lower speeds, making it a zero-emissions vehicle around town. Mercedes-Benz also claims that when the V6 and the electric components of the powertrain are used in conjunction with each other that acceleration is comparable to the ML550, which features a larger and more potent 8-cylinder engine.
The ML450 is larger in every dimension than the Lexus RX450h, and it also significantly out-powers its Japanese rival. Exact fuel mileage numbers have yet to be released, but there is no reason to think that the Teutonic competitor will boast numbers that are anything but comparable to the smaller SUV. Lexus has largely owned the luxury hybrid SUV field up until this point, with most other gasoline / electric sport-utility vehicles falling into the standard mid-size or compact classes. General Motors released a hybrid version of its popular Cadillac Escalade SUV for 2009 as well, but given that the vehicle's fuel mileage was originally in the single digits, the 50 percent improvement offered by the electric drivetrain was somewhat disappointing. Another difference between the domestic truck and its imported market-mates is that it does not employ any weight-saving measures or aerodynamic changes in order to increase efficiency, which handicaps it somewhat - particularly when compared to the slippery shape of the Lexus. The enormous Escalade does dwarf both the RX and the M-Class, however, and it also offers a 6,000 lb towing capacity.
With three major luxury players now involved in the hybrid SUV world, it is only a matter of time before other European car companies begin to build larger battery-powered vehicles to compete for the growing number of families who require practical transportation but don't want to pay a fuel penalty for it. The release of the Mercedes-Benz ML450 will help level the playing field for buyers in terms of price and power by both forcing Lexus and Cadillac to improve their hybrid programs and also inspiring other car companies to follow suit.