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Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid ready for 'major role' in urban areas

We finally got a clear look at the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid at the Frankfurt Motor Show last fall, but it took until this week to learn what the vision (see what we did there) is that Mercedes-Benz has for the PHEV. Despite it's generous size, Mercedes thinks this is a vehicle that will work well in urban areas. Speaking to members of the media during the Detroit Auto Show, Thomas Weber, Daimler AG management board member and research and development chief for Mercedes-Benz cars, said that the S500 PHEV, "will play a major role in congested areas" and that it will offer "a lot of driving pleasure." Part of that pleasure will come from a 0-62 mile-per-hour time of around 5.5 seconds thanks to a turbocharged, 3.0-liter V6 and an 80-kilowatt electric motor. The PHEV also has a 19-mile EV range, which will put it at the bottom end of the Three-Pointed star plug-in lineup. The upcoming C-Class plug-in, for example, will likely go, "closer to 50 km [31 miles]," Weber said, according to Green Car Reports. The S500 PHEV will go on sale in Europe later this year and will come to the US in early 2015 but there is no timeline, yet, for the C-Class plug-in (and the standard gas-electric hybrid version) or the even-more-future E-Class hybrids. Featured Gallery 2014 Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid: Frankfurt 2013 View 22 Photos News Source: Green Car ReportsImage Credit: 2014 Jonathon Ramsey / AOL Green Detroit Auto Show Mercedes-Benz Electric Hybrid PHEV s500

Mercedes dropping Shooting Brake from next CLS-Class

If you've been admiring the Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake from afar and held out hope that the next version might make it to over to our side of the pond, we've got bad news for you. Not only will the next rendition of Benz's sleek wagon not make it to North American showrooms, it won't be offered anywhere. According to Car, the German automaker has pulled the plug on the next CLS Shooting Brake. The five-door bodystyle was slated to form part of the third-generation CLS-Class lineup, whose design has already been finalized. But though there was reportedly great enthusiasm for the shooting brake within the company, lukewarm response from the vital North American and Chinese markets meant that plans for another wagon variant were scrapped altogether. Mercedes first rolled out the CLS four-door coupe in 2004, pioneering the popular new segment before BMW followed with its Gran Coupe models and Audi its Sportbacks. The second-generation model arrived in 2010, with a Shooting Brake following in 2012. Stuttgart even followed up with a smaller CLA Shooting Brake as well. With the third-generation model now on its way, however, the CLS is going back exclusively to four doors and a trunk. Of course that doesn't mean Mercedes won't be offering any oddball long-roofed models. It simply appears to be filling those niches with slant-backed versions of crossovers like the new GLC and GLE instead. So if you're looking for a vehicle with a Silver Star on the nose and an unconventional roofline at the back, you're going to have to settle on riding higher. Related Video:

Mercedes-Benz Vision Tokyo concept shows us our lazy future

The first autonomous vehicles to hit the road will likely look much the same as the ones we drive currently. But as self-driving technology evolves, so too will the shape of the vehicles themselves. And this is what Mercedes figures that future could look like. The Vision Tokyo concept, so named for the show now ongoing at which it's been unveiled this morning, is an odd yet forward-looking shape, rendered in Alubeam silver and glowing blue. Power comes from a hybrid hydrogen fuel cell and inductive electric charging system that give it a theoretical zero-emissions range of over 600 miles. One look at the lozenge-like shape should tell you that the design is all about the interior space. The driving station – should it be needed – offers a clean dashboard with HUD-only instruments and a central driving position with unobstructed view through the wraparound windscreen. The cabin is clearly focused, however, on the lounging occupants more than on the driver. Accessed via a single, giant gullwing hangar door, the approach is closer to that of a mobile lounge space than a traditional automotive interior, with a wraparound sofa, some manner of high-tech 3D game projected in the middle, and a wide infotainment screen on the inside of the door. The concept clearly foretells of a different future – one that demands less of the driver and offers more relaxed comfort. So while the driver within us grows concerned at his numbered days, the rest can't help but be strangely intrigued. Scope out the live images from the floor of the Tokyo Motor Show and share your thoughts on the concept in the Comments section below.