Mercedes has just announced announced the ML450 Hybrid 4MATIC model is ready for purchase… sort of. The first complete product to use the two-mode hybrid system built by the joint General Motors, Daimler, BMW and Chrysler hybrid technology group will only be offered as a lease.
The ML450 Hybrid will be made available for either 36 or 60 months, at either $659 or $549 per month. Mercedes says this is due to a limited supply of batteries.
Mercedes appears to be following the Lexus hybrid plan, using hybrid-electric technology to achieve the power of a larger engine with the fuel consumption of a smaller one. The ML450 uses a 3.5-liter V6 engine and two electric motors to make 335-hp and 381 ft-lbs of torque. Unlike the S400 Hybrid, it will be able to operate exclusively on electric power for short periods of time. Its fuel economy is rated at 21/24 mpg (city/highway), which is roughly the same as the ML350 Bluetec diesel at 18/25 mpg. This is also a 46 percent improvement over the fuel economy rating of the similarly-powerful ML550.
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Report: Mercedes Launches Lease-Only ML450 Hybrid on AutoGuide.com
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