After the launch of the new S 400 Hybrid and S 300 BlueTec Hybrid, Mercedes today pulled the wraps off the third hybrid model of the all-new S-Class series, the very frugal S 500 Plug-In Hybrid that returns a combine fuel consumption of 3 liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers (78.4 US mpg / 94.2 UK mpg) and CO2 emissions of 69 g/km.
These impressive figures are made possible by an 80-kW (107hp) electric motor that can propel the car all by itself for about 30 km or 18.6 miles.
The electric motor is paired to a new 3.0-liter V6 turbocharged gasoline engine developing 328 hp (245 kW) and 480 Nm (354 lb-ft) of torque, which means the system’s total power is 325 kW (436hp). The combustion engine can be completely decoupled from the electric motor, with the car also featuring systems such as a second-generation recuperative braking system and the anticipatory Intelligent Hybrid energy management system.
The latter not only adjusts the hybrid system for the current driving condition and driver input, but also configures it to the likely route (inclines, downhill stretches, bends or speed limits) for the next eight kilometers, using navigation data from Comand Online.
As opposed to the S 400 Hybrid and S 300 BlueTec Hybrid whose batteries can only be charged during braking, coasting or by the combustion engine, the high-voltage lithium-ion battery of the S 500 Plug-In Hybrid can be recharged from an external source. A charging socket is located on the right side of the rear bumper.
The driver can select four operating modes by pressing a button: Hybrid, E-Mode (electric power only), E-Save (fully charged battery is reserved to be able to drive on electric power alone later) and Charge (battery is charged while driving). Performance isn’t hampered by the hybrid setup, on the contrary: the S 500 Plug-In Hybrid sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds and reaches a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).
By Dan Mihalascu
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