LA Preview: Mercedes to show ML450 hybrid, new F-Cell

The new Mercedes-Benz ML450 is available for lease starting this week here in the U.S., but it will be making its auto show debut in production form in Los Angeles the week after next. The two-mode hybrid provides similar performance to the V8 powered ML550 but with a 46 percent boost in fuel efficiency.

Also on tap for LA will be the new generation F-Cell. This is the latest iteration of the hydrogen fuel cell-powered B-Class that Mercedes will be putting into low volume series production. It is equipped with the latest generation of the fuel cell stack that has increased efficiency and improved cold weather performance. Mercedes claims the new F-Cell can run up to 240 miles on a fill-up, the equivalent of 86.6 mpg on gasoline. Mercedes will be leasing 200 F-Cells to customers in Europe and the U.S. starting in 2010.

Finally, the new SLS AMG will be shown for the first time at a U.S. show. While the car on display will be the ridiculously fast gasoline-powered version, Mercedes has promised a battery electric version of the SLS in the next few years.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

press release

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG, ML450 HYBRID and Fuel Cell to Debut at L.A. Auto Show

11/18/09

LOS ANGELES – The 563-horsepower Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG supercar, the fuel-sipping E350 BlueTEC and the fuel-cell-powered F-Cell will be making their North American debuts at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show, open to the public December 4-13 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Mercedes-Benz will also launch its first hybrid SUV – the ML450 HYBRID– as well as the impressive SPLITVIEW dual-content viewing technology.


All-New SLS AMG Supercar

The first-ever car designed and developed from the ground up by Mercedes-AMG, the new SLS AMG supercar features a lightweight aluminum space-frame body with gullwing doors and a 563-horsepower dry-sump V8 engine. With its front-mid engine and dual-clutch seven-speed, the compelling SLS AMG boasts ideal weight distribution and race-car-like handling.


F-Cell for Fuel Cell Electric Power

Essentially an electric car that makes its own power on board, the new Mercedes-Benz F-Cell will make its North American debut at the L.A. Show. The F-Cell car has a range of about 240 miles and, running on compressed hydrogen, boasts an equivalent fuel mileage of 86.6 city-highway combined miles per gallon. In 2010, 200 production F-Cell cars will be delivered to customers in the U.S. and Europe as part of a special lease program.


BlueTEC – The World's Cleanest Diesels

Sharing center stage with the F-Cell and the SLS AMG, the fuel-sipping E350 BlueTEC is powered by a 3.0-liter V6 diesel with 210 horsepower, an impressive 400 lb.-ft. of torque and approximately 30 percent better fuel economy than a comparable gasoline engine. Now with revolutionary AdBlue injection that makes diesel exhaust super-clean, the E350 BlueTEC will be available in all 50 states in Spring 2010.


S-Class Debuts SPLITVIEW Technology

Also at the L.A. Show is an S-Class equipped with SPLITVIEW – a single display screen that allows the driver and front passenger to view two different programs at the same time. For example, the driver can view the navigation system, while on the very same display screen, the front passenger can watch a movie.


ML450 HYBRID Boasts 46 Percent Better Fuel Economy

Making its West Coast debut at the L.A. Auto Show, the Mercedes-Benz ML450 HYBRID uses a 3.5-liter V6 gasoline engine, two electric motors and sophisticated electronics to produce more than 46 percent better fuel economy than a comparable V8-powered ML550 model. Integrated within the modified automatic transmission, each magneto-electric motor is dedicated to a specific purpose – one for pulling away under electric power, the other specifically for acceleration. With both electric motors, the ML450 HYBRID has a total system performance of 335 horsepower and 381 pound-feet of torque.

About Mercedes-Benz USA

Mercedes-Benz USA, headquartered in Montvale, New Jersey, is responsible for the sales, marketing and service of all Mercedes-Benz and Maybach products in the United States. For more than forty years, MBUSA has taken pride in its commitment to the customer by providing superior quality luxury vehicles coupled with outstanding customer support. More information on MBUSA and its products can be found on the Internet at www.mbusa.com and www.maybachusa.com.