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2015 Mercedes-Benz ML400 Quick Spin

Mercedes-Benz has taken a risk in its quest to downsize its engine range. For 2015, the brand's popular M-Class five-passenger CUV did away with its trusty 4.4-liter, twin-turbocharged V8, and has replaced it with a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6. It's no surprise that power is down thanks to this move. Outputs of 402 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque are replaced by 329 hp and 354 lb-ft, but weight is down significantly as well. The new ML400 is nearly 300 pounds lighter than the 4,982-pound ML550. Will that tradeoff be enough to satisfy a buying public that's embraced falling fuel prices by buying bigger and thirstier vehicles? To find out if the blown V6 is a suitable replacement for the twin-turbo V8, we spent a week at the helm of the all-new ML400. Driving Notes This 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 is the same engine being offered in the C400 and E400 sedans. Typical of today's turbocharged engines, peak torque is spread lavishly across the rev range, from 1,600 to 4,000 rpm. That's not as generous a spread as the ML550, which offers all its torque between 1,600 and 4,750, but the power on offer is easy to access. Importantly, the new V6 never feels flat-footed or unable to answer our commands. In fact, the ML400 feels even quicker than its six-second sprint to 60 would indicate, although it's not so fast as to challenge the 5.3-second time of the ML550. After a slight and expected bout of turbo lag, the power arrives suddenly and proceeds linearly until just south of the engine's 6,500-rpm redline. The throttle response is soft in Eco mode, as expected, but sharpens up slightly when the fuel-sipping mode is off, where the gas pedal is still easy to modulate. It's a quiet engine, too. Compared to the brawnier exhaust note of the old ML550 or the howling six-cylinder in the BMW X5 xDrive35i, the ML400's note is smooth and refined, befitting of a V6. Its turbocharged nature is instantly noticed, though. Get on the throttle and the 3.0-liter happily hisses its way up the tachometer. But, it's only when you get on the throttle hard that the engine really weighs in. In day-to-day driving and traffic its soundtrack is unobtrusive and relaxed. The EPA rates the ML400's fuel economy at 18-miles-per-gallon city and a 22-mpg on the highway. That's better than the 14 city and 19 highway of the old V8 ML, but it still seems a bit low, especially for the highway figure.

Daimler, BMW partnering up on wireless charging

Plug-in vehicle advocates can get all warm and fuzzy about two Germany heavyweight automakers getting together for the sake of wireless charging. That's because Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler and BMW will work together to speed up development of a wireless charging system. While not a ton of details were divulged, we can still rejoice. Daimler says the system will consist of an on-board coil and another coil that can be placed within the garage floor or someplace similarly stationary. The system will charge at 3.6 kilowatts and with 90 percent efficiency. No details were released about the system's price or when it would be available, but Daimler shouldn't wait too long, since other OEMs are already talking about their own wireless charging systems. Daimler obviously has some skin in the game here, since Mercedes-Benz will start sales of its S500 plug-in hybrid in September. That model, which was first shown off last August at the Frankfurt Auto Show, can go as far as 20 miles on electric power alone and will get fuel economy of about 84 miles per gallon equivalent. And it's easy to imagine an i3 or i8 driver getting a kick out of never needing to touch a cord. This spring, reports sprung up that fellow German automaker Volkswagen was preparing a wireless charging option for its electric vehicles as soon as 2017. You can check out Daimler's press release below. Wireless charging of electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles: PLUG IN HYBRID - unplugged One of the next steps on the way to perfect electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles is wireless charging. Daimler and BMW have now agreed on jointly developing and implementing one common technology. Wireless charging of the battery will make the handling of electric drive and plug-in hybrid vehicles even easier. Mercedes-Benz will commence fleet testing of this "unplugged" technology with the S 500 Plug in HYBRID soon, in order to develop a real S-Class solution in recharging the high voltage battery in terms of comfort and ease of operating in the near future. The system consists of two components: a secondary coil integrated into the under tray of the car and a primary coil integrated into a floor plate that can be placed on a garage floor for instance. Electrical energy is transmitted contact-free without the need for a cable, at a power rate of 3.6 kW and with a degree of efficiency of 90%.

Mercedes-AMG planning hybrid hypercar?

It used to be that, a few overlapping two-door models aside, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche didn't really compete with one another. That's how the two ended up collaborating on projects like the Mercedes 500 E that put it on the performance sedan map without fear of stepping on each other's toes. But Porsche has grown considerably since then, challenging its Stuttgart neighbor with four-door sedans and crossovers, as well as sports coupes and convertibles. Little wonder, then, that Mercedes has hit back at Porsche with the AMG GT, and there will be many more versions to follow in 911 style. But that may not be the final salvo the Silver Star marque launches at Zuffenhausen. According to the latest bit of speculation and deduction from our friends at Motor Trend, Mercedes-AMG may be planning a hybrid hypercar of its own to take on the Porsche 918 Spyder – not to mention the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari. Solid information is sparse at this point, but after speaking to AMG chief Tobias Moers, MT speculates that the new flagship will likely be mid-engined, with a boosted version of the company's 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 kicking out between 650 and 700 horsepower, working with a pair of electric motors at the front to deliver tenacious through-the-road all-wheel traction and a combined output in the thousand-horsepower range. There is the possibility, though, that Mercedes could go after the latest hybrid hypercars with a flagship version of its just-launched AMG GT, packing a similar powertrain setup as the ultimate evolution of the breed. Other GT versions will likely soon include a GT3 racing model, a Black Series version and a roadster – following a similar path taken not only by the 911, but also by Benz's previous halo supercars like the SLR McLaren and SLS AMG.