Mercedes-Benz

The new 7-speed multiclutch transmission in the high-performance E63 AMG sedan, the hybrid system in the ML450 Hybrid SUV and the diesel powertrain in the GL350 BlueTec are the types of innovations that have kept Mercedes-Benz at the forefront of the auto industry for so long. Unveiled today at the 2009 New York International Auto Show, they are also the type of advances in automotive technology on which the company will stake its future success.

 

ML450 Hybrid
Car enthusiasts everywhere will be focusing on the E63 AMG super sedan, but it’s the sedate, full-size ML450 Hybrid SUV that will probably get the most mainstream attention. It’s Mercedes’ first full hybrid and comes to market months – and in some cases years -- after nonluxury automakers debuted their first hybrid models.

 

The ML450 Hybrid’s two-mode system pairs a 3.5-liter V6 engine with two electric motors embedded in the transmission that run on a self-charging battery. Altogether, the system produces 335 horsepower and 381 lb-ft of torque. That’s equivalent to 88 percent of the horsepower and 90 percent of the torque produced by the company’s nonhybrid V8 engines, said Ernst Lieb, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA. Yet it consumes 50 percent less fuel than the V8 and 30 percent less than the standard V6 engine, getting an estimated 21 mpg city/24 mpg highway.

 

E63 AMG
After unveiling a concept version of the E-Class with a 44-mpg 4-cylinder diesel engine to gauge whether Americans think it "has a place in a true Mercedes-Benz," Lieb passed the baton to Mercedes Chairman Volker Mornhinweg, who introduced the polar opposite to the environmentally friendly Vision E250 BlueTec.

 

The E63 AMG has a fuel-sucking 518-horse 6.2-liter V8 engine that will propel drivers away from angry Greenpeace protesters at breakneck speed. To Mercedes’ credit, the new engine, also found in the SL63 AMG, is 12 percent more efficient than the one it replaces, despite generating 11 horsepower more.

 

A special 7-speed transmission uses an innovative multiclutch system that boosts gas mileage by engaging quicker and more efficiently than conventional torque converters. One of the transmission’s four driving modes, called "Controlled Efficiency," adjusts gear changes to maximize fuel economy. The "Sport" and "Sport-Plus" modes facilitate spirited driving with faster gear changes, while the "Manual" mode rips off shifts in 100 milliseconds.

 

Mercedes touts road comfort superior to the previous E-Class and sharper track handling than the smaller, lighter C63 AMG, thanks to 22 percent quicker steering than the standard E-Class and a revised, electronically controlled suspension system with new front steel-spring struts and rear air struts with automatic ride-height control.

 

GL350 BlueTec
Changes to Mercedes’ largest SUV were virtually glossed over during the presentation at the New York auto show.
 
"There it is," Lieb said, waving perfunctorily toward it as the silk cover was pulled off. He did give a few details before hastily moving on to the E63 AMG, the most significant of which was a cleaner diesel engine with the company’s BlueTec system, which uses beefed-up catalytic converters and injects liquid urea into the exhaust stream to neutralize harmful emissions.
 
The GL350 BlueTec’s V6 diesel engine puts out 210 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. It gets an estimated 23 mpg highway. In general, diesels get around 30 percent better mileage than comparable gasoline engines.
 
Besides the new diesel engine, the entire GL-Class lineup gets subtle styling changes, including new bumpers, headlights and front grille.