August 13, 2012 at 6:41pm by Alexander Stoklosa
Mercedes-Benz has revealed how much it will charge for the new 2013 E400 hybrid, and the eco-philic luxury sedan will cost $56,705. The E400 joins the diesel E350 BlueTec sedan in the fuel-efficient corner of the E-class lineup, but costs a significant $3600 more than the oil-burner (and a hefty $4800 more than a base, gas-powered E350). For those unfamiliar with Benz’s methods of hybridization, the E400 gets a similar system to the larger S400 hybrid, with a direct-injected V-6 engine and a seven-speed transmission sandwiching an electric motor.
Official EPA fuel-economy figures for the E400 are forthcoming, but Mercedes estimates the hybrid will return 24 mpg in the city and 31 on the highway. The E350 BlueTec is rated for a slightly lower 21 mpg in the city, but betters the hybrid’s estimated highway performance by 1 mpg. Needless to say, it’ll take a while—plus a good amount of city driving—to recoup any of the added cost over the diesel E350, let alone the gas E350. It’s also interesting that Mercedes chose to position the hybrid E-class above the diesel; in the larger S-class sedan, the S400 hybrid represents the bottom of that model range, with the diesel slotting in above it.
- Instrumented Test: 2011 Mercedes-Benz E350 BlueTec Diesel
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- Instrumented Test: 2012 Mercedes-Benz E550 4MATIC Sedan
The E400 is less expensive than two of its key hybrid rivals, the BMW ActiveHybrid 5 and the Lexus GS450h, but costs slightly more than the Infiniti M35h. The BMW starts at a steep $61,995, while the Lexus slips beneath the $60K mark with a $59,845 base price; the Infiniti will set you back $55,095. In terms of fuel economy, the E400′s aforementioned fuel-economy estimates fall behind the M35h’s by 3 mpg in the city and by 1 mpg on the highway; the Benz also loses out to the GS450h on both cycles. The EPA has yet to release data for the ActiveHybrid 5, but Benz’s estimates are less than what we predict for the BMW as well.
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Tags: Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-Benz E400 hybrid, pricing |