2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid: First Drive

On Wednesday, we brought you a First Drive review of the Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid sedan, and today, we report on another Mercedes hybrid, the 2010 ML450 Hybrid SUV, which hit dealerships last month. Unlike the S400, which is the most affordable S-Class version, the M-Class hybrid isn't for sale at all; it can only be leased for 36 months or 60 months. It's also a full hybrid, designed to deliver more dramatic mileage gains over the non-hybrid than the sedan does. Rated at 21/24 mpg city/highway, it's 29 percent better than the V-6-powered ML350 (with all-wheel drive) and 47 percent better than the ML550, which has a V-8. The hybrid is only about 5 percent more efficient than the diesel-powered ML350 BlueTEC.

The ML450 uses a two-mode hybrid system co-developed with BMW and GM. Previously owned by Daimler — Mercedes' parent company — Chrysler and Dodge briefly sold two-mode versions of their Aspen and Durango SUVs, which were later discontinued. The ML marks the technology's first appearance bearing the three-pointed star.

2010 Mercedes-Benz ML450 Hybrid at 2009 New York Auto Show

• Competes with: BMW X5 diesel, Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
• Looks like: Mercedes has a shot at selling a hybrid
• Drivetrain: 335-hp, two-mode gas-electric hybrid system
• Hits dealerships: December 2009

If you make a hybrid, it better get good gas mileage. The 2010 ML450 Hybrid gets 21/24 mpg city/highway, which will make it the most efficient luxury SUV on the market that runs on gasoline and isn’t named Lexus. Only the BMW X5 diesel gets better mileage, at 19/26. The most fuel-efficient ML with a standard V-6 engine gets 16/21 mpg. This all-wheel-drive hybrid also packs 335 hp and 380 pounds-feet of torque, which closes in on V-8 offerings from the competition.

In 2009, Mercedes upgraded the ML’s interior and added a sophisticated infotainment system and a revised instrument panel and controls. It also brought a new diesel version of the SUV to market that gets 18/24 mpg. The hybrid system in the Mercedes is based on a joint program with BMW, GM and Chrysler, yet the ML450 Hybrid is the most efficient hybrid of this type to be produced by any member of that group.

While mileage may not matter to shoppers in this price bracket — we guess the ML450 Hybrid will be in the high-$50,000 to low-$60,000 range — the green halo may be worth the investment, especially if it can perform as well as other M-Class models.

More photos below.

Recall Alert: 1998-2003 Mercedes-Benz M-Class

Mercedes-Benz has issued a recall for 102,954 of its M-Class vehicles, from model years 1998-2003, due to a malfunctioning clamp on the power-steering hose.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, a hose clamp could come loose and leak power-steering fluid, and the power-steering system may degrade over time. Left unchecked, this could damage the power-steering pump and lead to a loss of control while driving.

Although an earlier recall was supposed to have fixed this problem, Mercedes-Benz doesn’t think the repairs were sufficient, and is therefore issuing a recall for all vehicles, even those previously repaired.

Owners can contact Mercedes-Benz at 800-367-6372 or the NHTSA hotline at 888-327-4236.

Up Close: 2009 M-Class

The M-Class' restyling is likely to be lost on anyone not aware of the details, but I have to admit that the changes give the SUV a different presence. Almost all the exterior changes make it look lower and broader. The grille sits lower and the fog lights are farther apart, for example. The stainless-steel skid plates — front and rear — draw the eye downward. Two exceptions are the new side mirrors, whose signal lights have grown and spread, threatening to overtake the entire mirror enclosure. 

Though Mercedes says the interior has been upgraded, the changes aren't dramatic to my eye, apart from the new steering wheel. That new wheel consolidates the controls to two groupings, patterned after the Comand system buttons alongside the center LCD screen. I'm not sure this is an improvement, but I'll need some time to experiment. Comand itself has been upgraded to the type in the new C-Class, the menus of which we found to be a big improvement. Unfortunately, this one doesn't have the central-knob controller. As much as we hate the one in BMWs, the one on the C-Class is pretty good.

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2008 New York Auto Show: 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class

2008 New York Auto Show: 2009 Mercedes-Benz M-Class

• Competes with: Acura MDX, BMW X5, Land Rover Range Rover Sport
• Looks like: The current M-Class after a few shots of botox
• Drivetrain: V-6 or V-8 with seven-speed automatic
• Hits dealerships: Fall 2008

When we recently tested the 2008 Mercedes-Benz ML550, we were surprised by how good an SUV the M-Class still is in a very competitive segment. In New York next week, Mercedes-Benz will unveil an updated version of the M-Class that promises to improve upon this sleeper of an SUV.

The 2009 model will come in the same trim levels — ML350, ML550 and ML63 AMG — as well as the diesel ML320 Bluetec we told you about earlier. All three gasoline engines, however, will get boosts in power and fuel-efficiency, though Mercedes hasn’t provided exact figures at this time. As for the mileage claims, our ML550 tester was already surprisingly economical considering the power in its V-8 engine.

Outside, the design gets a little curvier, especially around the front grille. The look is more menacing and more organic. Inside there are slight changes to the design, including a new steering wheel. Most importantly, Mercedes says it has changed the old version’s abysmal infotainment unit to a new array of three different choices. We’re hoping the new systems are more akin to the ones in the new C-Class.

There are more photos below of the European models, including comparisons to the 2008 M-Class. We’ll be checking out all of Mercedes’ upgraded models at the New York auto show next week, so stay tuned.