Autoblog

I was totally excited about snapping the first pic of a Mercedes hybrid hidng in a trailer outside the Frankfurt Motor Show. Of course, the pic was only significant for a day until Mercedes had its press conference introducing not one, but two hybrid concepts: the "Direct Hybrid" and the "Bluetec Hybrid". Both use the S-Class as a platform, but the Direct Hybrid couples a 3.5L V6 gas engine using a spray-guided direct injection system with a high torque electric motor, while the Bluetec pairs a 3.0L V6 diesel using advanced exhaust purification technology to reduce nitrogen oxide emissions with a similar high torque motor. The goal, according to an MB exec, is to "make petrol cars as efficient as diesels, and diesels as clean as petrol cars." The Bluetec diesel-hybrid is of particular interest, as it represents an effective pairing of two highly complementary technologies.

Click the jump to see performance and efficiency specs and read on to see the full press release at eMercedesBenz.com.