Mercedes-Benz S400 hybrid to launch in June 2009 in Europe

Mercedes-Benz hasn't publicly announced an official on-sale date yet for its first hybrid models beyond the first half of 2009. However, BusinessWeek is reporting that the S400 BlueHybrid will go on sale in Europe in June 2009. The big gas-electric luxury sedan is due to arrive on U.S. roads one year from now. The S400 will use a lithium-ion battery pack and will likely be the first from a major automaker to do so. With a current U.S. base price of $86,700 for an S550, it's not quite clear where the hybrid will fit in the U.S. lineup. The S400 will pair the 3.5L V6 that is not available in the U.S. S-Class with the Daimler/BMW mild hybrid system. BusinessWeek reports the system will command a premium of less than €10,000 (I should hope so, since that's almost what Lexus charges for the full hybrid system on the LS600h). On the plus side, the Mercedes should get significantly better fuel economy than the Lexus. Mercedes is claiming 29.8 mpg (U.S.) for the hybrid although it remains to be seen how it will fare on the EPA cycle.

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Mercedes to bring A and B-Class to America?

Click above for more shots of the A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY

The move to smaller cars in the United States will cover nearly all vehicle classes, even touching such luxury car stalwarts as Mercedes-Benz. Fortunately for MB, the automaker already has a few small vehicles which it can consider selling in the States, and new rumors indicate that the automaker could be considering launching its A-Class subcompact and B-Class compact cars here. Buyers who associate the three-pointed star with luxury alone may be surprised by the A-Class, which is most certainly an economy car, albeit one of high quality. Interestingly, though, the B-Class was initially planned for the U.S. market but was dropped shortly before launch due to the poor Euro-to-Dollar ratio. That particular situation has only gotten worse, but the rising price of gasoline may prompt Mercedes-Benz to reconsider that decision anyway.

It would be pure speculation, but we wonder if Mercedes has some excess capacity at its SUV plant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. If so, the automaker could retool the plant for the new small cars, a move which could alleviate some of the poor exchange rate issues. We'll cast our official vote for the A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY that gets 52mpg (U.S.). In any case, don't expect to see the new models in the U.S. until 2011 or so.

2010 Mercedes E-Class

Its a spy shots of the new 2010 Mercedes-Benz E Class, which was caught in the desert. The test mule still a bit of camo on it, but you can clearly see a lot of the new sheetmetal. Previous photos see here. The car is rumored to be making its official debut at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2008.

As you see, it looks like the S-Class wheel arches haven’t made it to the new E, which resembles M-B’s C Class instead.

A-Class Mercedes: Goodbye fuel cell, hello Tesla battery?

We recently confirmed the rumor that, yes, Mercedes is planning on building an electric car or two and now some of the details are starting to be firmed up. In an interview with German business daily, WirtschaftsWoche, Thomas Weber, a Mercedes board member responsible for research and vehicle development, let it be known that the company is building what was originally meant to be the fuel cell-powered A-Class (and possibly B-Class) as an all-electric model. Because of its "sandwich" construction and pre-existing electric drivetrain, these cars should be the first to join the electric Smart in the e-Mercedes lineup.

Another magazine, Automobilwoche, as well as reporting 2010 as the year of the e-Mercedes arrival, states that the supplier of the battery for the cars would be none other than the American firm Tesla Motors. The source of their information was not revealed and since this has not been officially stated by either company, it's still somewhat speculative. We know from talking with Tesla's Elon Musk that something is going on between them and Mercedes and it's definitely not a motor for the Whitestar, since Musk made it clear that Tesla products will remain gasoline-free. We also know that Daimler claims to have solved the thermal issues associated with lithium ion batteries of a certain chemistry by integrating battery cooling systems with that of the car. Then again, Continental has already been named a battery supplier for the Mercedes S 400 hybrid. If you care to enter into the supplier speculation sweepstakes, hit us up in the comments section.

A-Class Mercedes: Goodbye fuel cell, hello Tesla battery?

We recently confirmed the rumor that, yes, Mercedes is planning on building an electric car or two and now some of the details are starting to be firmed up. In an interview with German business daily, WirtschaftsWoche, Thomas Weber, a Mercedes board member responsible for research and vehicle development, let it be known that the company is building what was originally meant to be the fuel cell-powered A-Class (and possibly B-Class) as an all-electric model. Because of its "sandwich" construction and pre-existing electric drivetrain, these cars should be the first to join the electric Smart in the e-Mercedes lineup.

Another magazine, Automobilwoche, as well as reporting 2010 as the year of the e-Mercedes arrival, states that the supplier of the battery for the cars would be none other than the American firm Tesla Motors. The source of their information was not revealed and since this has not been officially stated by either company, it's still somewhat speculative. We know from talking with Tesla's Elon Musk that something is going on between them and Mercedes and it's definitely not a motor for the Whitestar, since Musk made it clear that Tesla products will remain gasoline-free. We also know that Daimler claims to have solved the thermal issues associated with lithium ion batteries of a certain chemistry by integrating battery cooling systems with that of the car. Then again, Continental has already been named a battery supplier for the Mercedes S 400 hybrid. If you care to enter into the supplier speculation sweepstakes, hit us up in the comments section.

Mercedes-Benz introduces new 52mpg A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY

This fall, Mercedes-Benz will offer a new A-Class coupe - the A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY - that gets 52mpg (U.S.). In the NEDC consumption calculation, the car comes in at 4.5 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres and emits just 119 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Those are the best ratings in the A-Class range, and the A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY will still deliver 60 kW/82 hp. As is standard in the BlueEFFICIENCY range, minor tweaks to the styling and the addition of start-stop capability are what turns a standard A-Class into a more efficient ride (other new vehicles in the line-up get "just" 29mpg). Starting with an old standby - a manual transmission - and adding low rolling resistance tires and weight cuts, the A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY also features a new closed-off aerodynamic grille and lowered suspension to make the car as slippery as possible. Daimler can likely count on solid sales of the new A 160 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY, as more than 1.7m A-Class vehicle have been sold since the model launched in 1997. More details after the break.

Time is Money: Mercedes-Benz reveals SL 63 AMG Edition IWC

Autoblog does a lot of posts on car-related timepieces, and that's thanks to Noah who has an affinity for the finer automotive-inspired paraphernalia in life. Unfortunately, he's not here right now, so I get to tell you about this new limited edition Mercedes-Benz SL 63 that's being produced in conjunction with Swiss watchmaker IWC Schaffhausen. Only 200 will be made, and each features the first application of a new white paint finish dubbed designo magno Kashmir. Though my desensitized retinas see plain old white where others see shades of Pearl and Egg Shell, there's no denying this brilliant veneer looks like a million bucks on the SL 63 AMG. Contrast that with the matte black finish of other components on the car's exterior, and you've got the world's most expensive Storm Trooper. Tobago Brown nappa leather will cradle your bum in the AMG sport seats while your feet fall on special black floormats that are one of about a dozen interior surfaces emblazoned with the AMG logo. The rest is pretty much standard SL 63 AMG fare, if you can call anything about this 525-hp convertible standard with a straight face. Oh, yeah, the watchmaker tie-in: All 200 owners of the SL 63 AMG Edition IWC will also get a limited edition example of IWC's "Grosser Ingenieur" watch. Nothing can replace my Swatch, but I would definitely take the car.