The actual market appearance of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz ML 450 Two-Mode Hybrid SUV has been the subject of considerable debate since the vehicle first debuted in September 2007 at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt. The principle reason for the uncertainty lies with the battery maker, Cobasys. Daimler AG, Mercedes’ parent company, filed suit against them in August 2008. (Cobasys is co-owned by Energy Conversion Devices and Chevron.) Mercedes, you see, shelled out $6 million for the production of nickel-metal hydride batteries. It never happened, apparently due to the fact that Cobasys was up for sale, a fact no one bothered to tell Mercedes. The automakers are still saying the ML450 will be on showroom floors in the fourth quarter of 2009, but that seems rather up in the air.

Pundits have also debated the wisdom of introducing an SUV of any kind in the current economic climate. Both the hybrid Durango and the hybrid Aspen have been discontinued and in December 2008 General Motors tallied up sales for their three hybrids -- the Yukon, Tahoe, and Escalade -- and it was a whopping 6,000 for the whole 12 months. If the ML450 is put on the market, it is expected to carry a price tag of over $50,000 – pretty steep in a climate where car loans come are becoming more and more scarce and car payments can constitute a hardship no matter how green your aspirations.

All those things aside, however, the ML450 will (or would) be the first hybrid SUV to be German made. It’s to be outfitted with a 3.5-liter, V6 mated to a two-mode, multi-speed, automatic variable transmission by GM. Resulting performance is 279 hp with 249 lb-ft of torque. Add in the output of the electric motors, and you get 321 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque – enough power to make finding cheap insurance for your car a less than enjoyable task. Average fuel consumption is about 30.5 mpg with the CO2 output rated at 185 g/km. Those mystery batteries were originally said to be 288V nickel-metal hydride, and in addition, regenerative braking has been added to further improve energy efficiency.

Reviewers say the performance, like the current model, should be exemplary, but with a vehicle packed with so much technology, potential owners will need to find a specialized mechanic and be willing to pay him. Overall, however, the ML450 looks to be a sweet, but expensive luxury hybrid SUV – that is, when it actually finds its way onto the road.