Though supplier issues threaten to delay the official launch, Mercedes-Benz continues to develop and test the 2010 ML450 Hybrid - its first SUV with hybrid powertrain.
Thanks to the partnership inked in 2005, the ML450 Hybrid, like the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango hybrids, will also use a form of GM's 2-Mode hybrid transmission. In base form, the ML450 Hybrid will use a 3.5-liter V-6, although our sources suggest a 3.0-liter turbo-diesel V-6 could be offered - at least in Europe. As neat as that idea sounds, we think the gas version will be plenty efficient: Mercedes says the ML450 Hybrid delivers an impressive 30.5 mpg combined.
Should Mercedes find a supplier able to produce batteries in a timely fashion, the ML450 Hybrid could arrive at dealers as early as the fall of 2009.