Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative (http://www.autoblog.com/category/hybrids/), Green (http://www.autoblog.com/category/green/), Mercedes-Benz (http://www.autoblog.com/category/mercedes-benz/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/00_mbs400hybrid_opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid/1042181/)
Click above to view high-res gallery of the Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHYBRID


http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/11_mbs400hybrid_opt.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid/1042177/)Mercedes-Benz has taken the wraps off of its first hybrid passenger car, the S400 BlueHYBRID. Based on the S350, this mild hybrid pairs an electric motor/generator and the first lithium-ion battery in a production car (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid/1042178/) with a specially tuned version of the company's 3.5L V6 driving the wheels through a 7-speed automatic transmission. The V6 produces 279 horsepower and can be aided by the electric motor during acceleration with an additional 20 horsepower and 88 lb-ft of torque, giving the drivetrain a combined torque output of 285 lb-ft and what MB calls an electric "boost" effect. Like most hybrids, the S400 features a start-stop function and regenerative braking, but since Mercedes didn't want any interior or trunk space sacrificed for batteries, the S400's special li-ion battery was made small enough to be placed under the hood with the engine (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid/1042177/). The only evidence you're driving a hybrid while behind the wheel is a special display (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid/1042184/) embedded in the gauge cluster that shows where the energy is flowing at any particular moment. The net result of all this technology is a very large car that sips fuel at the rate of 7.9 liters per 100 kilometers, or what would be around 29 mpg in the U.S. The M-B S400 BlueHYBRID will be available in Europe next summer, and we expect to see it offered elsewhere, including the U.S., not long after.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHYBRID (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid/)
http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/00_mbs400hybrid_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid/1042181/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/01_mbs400hybrid_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid/1042180/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/02_mbs400hybrid_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid/1042179/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/03_mbs400hybrid_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid/1042187/)http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2008/09/04_mbs400hybrid_thumbnail.jpg (http://www.autoblog.com/photos/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid/1042175/)

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]Continue reading Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHYBRID unveiled (http://www.autoblog.com/2008/09/17/mercedes-benz-s400-bluehybrid-unveiled/)


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