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Click above for a high res gallery of the Mercedes-Benz ML450 hybrid

An hour after Mercedes-Benz unveiled its new ML450 hybrid at the New York Auto Show, we got to take our first quick drive in the first German version of a two-mode hybrid. Mercedes-Benz has been collaborating with General Motors, Chrysler and BMW for the last four years to develop the two-mode hybrid system for applications smaller than the buses that GM originally designed it for. GM has now installed the system across the board on all its GMT900 full size trucks and SUVs and Chrysler briefly offered it on the Durango and Aspen before production of those vehicles ended at the end of 2008. In 2010, Dodge will add the system to the Ram pickup trucks.

Mercedes-Benz will be building its own version of the two-mode hybrid transmission at a plant in Germany. Those transmissions will also be supplied to BMW for the X6 hybrid when that debuts. Read on for our first on the road impressions of the ML450.


Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Quick Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid, two-mode goes German

Quick Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid, two-mode goes German originally appeared on AutoblogGreen on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 11:53:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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