The car will be using the Bluetec diesel system with a technology for hybrid systems that they developed with BMW. The one on display in Geneva has a diesel four 2.2L with twin turbochargers. This powerplant can output an excellent 204 horsepower.

The same engine is featured at the 2011 E250 Bluetec that took spotlight at the 2009 New York Auto Show. The fuel mileage of the powerplant is estimated to be 39 mpg while cruising on the highway and 29 mpg while on the city streets.

The electric motor and lithium ion battery installed on the E300 hybrid are similar to the configuration used by the 2010 S400 Hybrid that kicked off sales last year.

The drivetrain of the E300 will only be a mild hybrid. This means that the car’s electric motor will only boost the power of the combustion engine and will be utilized to restart the car from full stops. The E300 will not be capable of running pure electric like the Toyota Prius – but it’s a hybrid car none the less.

The mild hybrid setup will not really be an issue. Initial tests show that the fuel economy is pegged at 57 mpg based on the combined cycle in Europe. This translates to a CO2 emission of about 109 grams per kilometer.

There is no need to worry though if you are hoping for more green cars in the market. There are several European car producers that are on the race to come up with the technology as early as 2011. French carmaker Citroen promised to use a diesel-hybrid engine with their new baby the DS5 but this will have to wait until 2011.

Mercedes-Benz was able to step on the pedal and may hit their goal. Mercedes Benz will be able to deliver a hybrid diesel-electric vehicle and also launch a version of the technology through the E-Class before the end of the year. Deliveries of the hybrid units will start by the first months of 2011.

The E-Class hybrid will be labeled E300 Hybrid and will be depending on a 2.2L 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine paired to a lithium ion electric motor. This engine is also used by the E250 Bluetec running on diesel.

The E300 hybrid will only be on a mild hybrid configuration. This means that the car cannot really run on a full electric mode but the electric motor is just used to boost the power of the combustion engine and restarting the vehicle from a stop. The fuel consumption though is still very good and will be more than 50mpg.

The components of the Mercedes-Benz hybrid will be similar in configuration with the S400 Hybrid. The S400 is doing well in the local German market with makes up 15% of the sales figures of the S-Class. The modular platform being followed by the carmaker allows the sharing of the components of their different units. Diesel hybrid configuration is also being planned for the GL, ML, and GLK SUV.

Mercedes-Benz’ F800 Style represents what future Mercedes-Benz will look like. The four-door, five-seat coupe blends safety, future driving technology, and comfort with the new design language of the company.

The interior of the concept vehicle is quite roomy and makes use of display concepts and intelligent controls for seating. The concept vehicle has two versions. One version will be purely utilizing an electric drive which runs on fuel cells and has a decent range of 375 miles. Another version is a hybrid plug-in that can run on pure electricity for 18 miles.

F800 Style plug-in hybrid car will depend on the 300 horsepower V-6 gasoline powerplant and an electric motor that uses lithium ion battery packs. According to insiders, the F800 plug-in variant will be able to zoom from 0 to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds. It will hit 155 mph as its top speed. The fuel efficiency of this concept will be pegged at 81 mpg. The electric vehicle mode of this variant will allow it to hit 75 mph for its top speed. The new generation of Mercedes-Benz S Class will feature an engine like this one.

The pure electric variant of the F800 Style will depend on an electric motor that has an output of 136 horsepower. The engine will also make use of a hydrogen fuel cell just like the one that will be installed on the F-Cell of the B-Class due to roll out in the near future.

During the Detroit Auto Show, Mellinghoff explained that around 80% of the accidents on the road involving people entail only 20% of the car’s front hitting the pedestrian. They did the math and studies show that it will only take a Mercedes Benz to swerve by 40 to 50 centimeters to avoid the pedestrian detected by the safety system.

Safety on the road is ultimately the responsibility of the driver so the technology will still encourage that the driver should react first during a potential road mishap. This concept is also applied on other Mercedes safety systems.

The Mercedes’ crash prevention technology will be unlike Volvo’s CitySafe system which triggers the brakes to avoid collision. The new safety protocol will be added to other existing safety platforms of Mercedes like the drowsiness monitor first used with the E-Class. The drowsiness system will be rolled out as a standard featured in all Mercedes Benz vehicles.

Mellinghoff admitted that it might be impossible to totally eliminate all accidents on the road, like what is set by their Volvo counterparts, but he is proud to say that fatal accidents involving Mercedes Benz is rarely part of the real world statistics. The head of safety of Mercedes boasts that they do not have a reported incident of a Mercedes Benz driver who was killed or seriously injured in the last two years.

Some may look at the addition of the 3 cylinder engine as step back as the cars goes from being an EV to being a hybrid but looking at the feasibility angle, that is the best option.

Without the E-CELL PLUS, the BlueZERO vehicles’ range will not be that impressive. That brings anxiety to the consumers who will worry of what they must do if they run out of battery while on the road. Injecting the range extender technology allows the cars to run 100km on pure electricity then an additional 500 km when using the gas-electric engine combo.

The battery can give drivers a full range of 100 kilometers given that the batteries are fully charged. This usually takes an hour of charging.

Mercedes-Benz is simply addressing the concerns of their potential buyers. The infrastructure for EVs on the road is admittedly not yet there. Re-fuelling of a vehicle is still practically done at a gas station and not all of them have stations where you can plug-in your EVs.

The BlueZERO also boasts of other indicators of what it can do on the road. The top speed is pegged at 150 km/hr and the cars can accelerate from 0 to 100 in 11 seconds. Not bad. Via Green Cars Blog.

The new SLK is 200 pounds lighter and gets a bigger 11.2 cubic feet of trunk space. Car enthusiasts love the additional cargo space which makes the roadster more functional for everyday use or a weekend round of golf.

According to some rumors, the Mercedes-Benz SLK is also getting a new power plant variant that is capable of a 300 to 350hp output. There might also be a V8 version with 3.6L displacement and capable of injecting 470hp for the AMG variant.

Some industry experts are also tipping that the 2011 SLK might adopt the 2.2L diesel engine currently being used by the C250 CDI. This engine has 204hp but some are doubtful that the American market can appreciate the boost that it can give to the car. Diesels engines for the C-Class and the GLK build might be okay but it might not be appreciated for a sporty SLK; however it will do good for fuel economy.

Although the new SLK has been spotted several times, the dimensions are not that clear because of the fitted camouflage. It seems the 2011 SLK will have a longer hood, retain the LED day lights, and will have a refined design of the side mirror linked to the doors. The lines of the roof also have some semblance with the SLS AMG.

The sticker price for the 2011 Mercedes Benz SLK may not be too far from the current variant’s $46,000.

The Mercedes-Benz CLK, which was recently replaced by the new comer E-Class Coupe, is the final automobile that Karmann built. However, the said model finally left the Mercedes-Benz assembly line. A report in Strait Times tackled the issue of whether a new Karmann model will be revealed in the near future with a different partner.

As most sudden closures, a fight erupted as Karmann’s workers’ union, the IG Metall, raised their demands. Unfortunately and ultimately, the slowdown of the industry itself that caused the big reduction in production and sales is the one to blame for the sudden closures of several car companies these days.

On the brighter side, we can look back on how Karmann has accumulated it’s 3.3 million sales since 1949. Its most famous model, perhaps, is the Karmann Ghia, which is both a Volkswagen convertible as well as a coupe. There are also the Volkswagen Beetle, Ford escort, Mercedes-Benz CLK and a great number of Audio cabrios.

As with most carmakers that went bankrupt the past months, there is a possible that Karmann will resurface with a stronger local or foreign partner.

However, modified cars look just about the same: flashy wheels with enough bling to make the blind see, kick-ass body kits, and last but not definitely not the least, more power. Tuning company Lorinser adapts this age-old formula for almost all the cars it modifies, and, ironically, comes up with models not too far from their original state.

Lorinser’s latest showcase is the high-end Mercedes C63 AMG, a high-end, high performance model to begin with. With this particular model under its wings, Lorinsers is planning to participate in this month’s Tuner Grand Prix in Hockenheimring, Germany. Lorinsers gives C63’s LV8 engine 500HP and 442lb-ft of torque.

The C63’s modified engine now accelerates at 0-100km/h in 4.3 seconds, reaching 320km/h for its top speed. The model’s handling has also been modified. It comes with lowering springs, reducing its gravity center figures while raising its resistance to the roll of its body.

Of course, it comes with big and flashy 19inch alloy wheels making the car lighter and more stylish. It also keeps the car more responsive.

Watch out for the newly tuned and flashy Mercedes C63 AMG in this month’s Tuner Grand Prix in Germany. Lorinser’s bet should be interesting to see it compete side by side with those of Brabus, Techart, and Kicherer.

More Car Tuning info at Car Tuning Tips!

The new breed of ML may have a smaller body compared to the current version of the ML. The wheelbase though appears to be the same.

There are also reports that Mercedes Benz is working on a hybrid M-Class that can run on both electric power and diesel. A hybrid petrol variant is already due to roll out before the end of this year. The car manufacturer may also come up with a plug-in hybrid ML running on an 80hp electric power train coupled with a V6 3.5L twin turbocharged engine.

The plug in variant of the ML will be based on the other hybrid programs for Mercedes Benz like the S400. The underpinnings and the other elements will be shared with the G-Class and the next gen R-Class. The underpinning of the ML’s chassis is similar to the 2011 Grand Cherokee from Jeep.

The new ML will be relying on the efficiency of its set up rather than its performance when it tries to convince the 4×4 consumer market. The European release will have under its hood a 204hp powerplant. There is also a plan to come up with 225hp diesel and 333hp petrol engines.

Auto industry spies report that the proportions of the new Mercedes Benz SLK cannot be appreciated yet due to the thick slabs used to camouflage it. The LED daylight which has been the recent trend for the Benz fleet is evident.

The hood seems to be longer than its older sibling and the seats look a bit pushed back. The side mirrors are also attached to the doors with thinner bars.

The angle between the rear deck and hard top is a tinge of the SLC 2010. The lines of the front end of the new SLK also hints which design forms are being shared with other member of the Mercedes Benz fleet. Good thing though that the front provides a fresher look compared to the older generation Benz.

The SLK will have under its hood a 2.2L diesel power train derived from the C250 CDI. It can produce 204hp which is more like the output of the C-Class and GLK. Some say that the SLK may have a so-so performance if this diesel powerplant rolls in the U.S. market. The engine may just fall short of the sporty experience expected from an SLK.

There might also be an AMG variant that will have a whopping 470hp V6 engine. We might get more revelations with regard to the specs of the new SLK as it goes forward its development.

The new SLK will be in dealerships before the end of 2010 and may have a sticker price close to the current release of $46,000.

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