Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Mercedes-Benz E-Class Hybrids to Bow at 2012 Detroit Show

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It appears that the 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL may be sharing the spotlight at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.  According to a report by Autocar, Mercedes-Benz will introduce two new E-Class hybrids at the Detroit show. The E-Class is already one of the most varied models in the automakers portfolio with sedans, coupes, cabriolets, wagon, all-wheel drive, and high-performance variants available. These two new hybrids add to that list and will bring some eco-friendly cred to the E-Class.

The first hybrid is the E300 Bluetec, expected to go on sale in Europe next September. The E300 will include a 2.1-liter, turbocharged, four-cylinder diesel rated at 201 hp and 369-lb feet of torque. Adding to that torque-tastic figure is an electric motor rated at 27 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. The E300 is expected to scoot from 0-62 mph in just 7.5 seconds with a top speed of 150 mph. Autocar also reports that it will emit 109g/km of CO2 emissions, 40g/km less than the gas-powered BMW Active5 Hybrid. According to our source at Mercedes-Benz USA, there are no plans to bring the E300 to the States for now, though that could change in the future.

Next up is the E400 Hybrid, which will be a U.S.-only car. The E400 will get the E300’s electric motor combined with the 3.5-liter, V-6 engine (302 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque) already used in other models. It’s estimated to achieve a combined 32.4 mpg on the U.S. fuel cycle. Both vehicles will feature a number of fuel-sipping tricks such as start/stop, a sailing mode, low resistance tires, and brake energy recuperation. Mercedes-Benz will reveal the detailed specs closer to the Detroit show.

Source: motortrend.com

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