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Sales start for $146,000 Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug In Hybrid

Sun, Aug 3 2014 Mercedes-Benz's first production plug-in hybrid is chock full of astounding numbers, including the price tag. The base price is 108,944.50 euros, or about $146,000 US. If that didn't make your eyes glaze over, the Daimler division is ready to take your down payments now that the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid is officially on sale. Deliveries to European dealerships start in September.

Details on the PHEV sedan were divulged last August and it was first shown off at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show. Benz calls it the, "first luxury saloon with the performance of a V8 and the fuel consumption of a compact model." That's no exaggeration. The car's powertrain that pairs a 3.0-liter V6 twin-turbo with an electric motor that delivers 436 horsepower and a 0-62 mile per hour acceleration time of just 5.2 seconds. Top speed is 155 miles an hour.

On the green side, the car can go as far as almost 21 miles on electric power alone and gets a fuel-efficiency rating, on the more lenient European driving cycle, of 84 miles per gallon equivalent. The car also includes a so-called COMAND navigation system that tweaks how the electric motor is used based on the driver's desired route. Very high-tech.

We've got Mercedes-Benz's press release below.
Sales release for S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID: First PLUG-IN HYBRID with a star starts

With immediate effect the Mercedes-Benz S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID can be ordered for prices from 108,944.50 euros[1]. The S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID blends an ultramodern hybrid drive configuration with the unique innovations and the luxurious equipment and appointments of the S-Class. The luxury saloon with a long wheelbase impresses with unique dynamism and efficiency. Thanks to standard pre-entry climate control it also offers unique climate comfort. In September the first certified three-litre luxury saloon in the world will be arriving at the dealers - a further milestone on the road to emission-free mobility.

"The new S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID offers our customers the entire range of innovations that make our new S-Class so successful, and thanks to its intelligent operating strategy ensures outstanding driving pleasure and dynamism combined with the highest efficiency. Moreover, it allows completely emission-free driving for up to 33 km," says Ola Kallenius, Executive Vice-President for Sales at Mercedes-Benz Cars.

"The S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID is the first luxury saloon with the performance of a V8 and the fuel consumption of a compact model. The greatest challenge in this is to translate highest efficiency into superior performance. In this respect there is a highly interesting parallel with our successful Formula 1 racing car, which likewise has a turbocharged V6 engine and hybrid drive," says Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Daimler AG Executive Board responsible for corporate research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.

The Mercedes-Benz S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID offers a system output of 325 kW and 650 Nm torque, and in just 5.2 seconds sprints from 0 to 100 km/h and can drive up to 33 km purely electrically. The certified consumption is 2.8 litres/100 km, which corresponds to 65 g CO2/km emissions. Key elements of this impressive output are the V6 biturbo and the intelligent hybrid drive. Following the S 400 HYBRID and S 300 BlueTEC HYBRID the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID is the third hybrid model in the new S-class. Its new high-voltage lithium-ion battery can be externally recharged via the charging socket in the right side of the rear bumper.

In order to strengthen the customers' trust in the new, innovative PLUG-IN HYBRID drive system, for the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID Mercedes-Benz is for the first time issuing a certificate and thus a promise to perform for the high-voltage battery and PLUG-IN HYBRID components (e.g. e-machine and power electronics). This ensures that every technical malfunction within a period of six years after initial delivery or registration, or up to a mileage of 100,000 kilometres, is corrected by Mercedes-Benz.

Intelligent energy management system
Climb in, start, drive off and, as well as exemplary efficiency, on request experience via kickdown the special acceleration of the electric motor – this is how easy hybrid driving with the new S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID is. For in everyday use it moves just as easily as any other automatic transmission car.

In the background the foresighted energy management system automatically selects the ideal combination of internal combustion engine and e-machine and in so doing not only adapts its strategy according to the load status of the battery; it also foresightedly adjusts it according to the traffic or route. But anyone wanting to can also intervene manually and with the aid of four operating modes and three transmission modes regulate the hybrid interplay themselves. Here, what is known as the haptic accelerator pedal supplies the driver with feedback on the switch-on point of the combustion engine or signals via a double impulse when they should take their foot off the accelerator for sailing and recuperating. The energy flow is shown in all operating states in the instrument cluster and in the central display.

The technical data at a glance:
Model
S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID
Internal combustion engine:
Number of cylinders/arrangement
6/V
Mixture formation
High-pressure injection, 2 turbochargers
Displacement (cc)
2996
Rated output (kW/hp at rpm)
245/333 at 5250-6000
Rated torque (Nm at rpm)
480 at 1600-4000
Electric motor:
Output (kW)
85
Torque (Nm)
340
System output (kW/hp)
325/442
System torque (Nm)1
650
Consumption combined from (l/100 km)2
2.8
CO2 emissions combined from (g/km)2
65
Efficiency class
A+
Electric range (km)
33
Charge time 20%-100% (400 V/16 A – 230 V/8 A)3 (h)
2 – 4.1
Acceleration 0-100 km/h (s)
5.2
Top speed (km/h)1
250
Top speed electric (km/h)1
140
Price (euros)4
108,944.50

1 Electronically limited, 2 In accordance with NEDC, 3 Charge time at 230 V/8 A e.g. at a commercially available socket. Through settings on the control element of the charging cable shorter charge times can be realised (standard setting: 8 A), provided that the power supply system is designed for this. Charge time at 400 V/16 A e.g. at a wallbox. The voltage and current ratings indicated refer to the power supply infrastructure and can be limited by the car. 4 Sales price in Germany, incl. 19 percent VAT

Extensive standard equipment, extended pre-entry climate control
The standard equipment in the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID is extensive and offers a world premiere: The extended pre-entry climate control. This is target value controlled. This means that at the start of the journey the S-Class is air conditioned to the preset temperature if the driver enters the departure time, via Mercedes connect me, for example. This is possible due to the electrically driven refrigerant compressor and electric heating elements for the heated air. In addition to this, when preheating it is not just the interior air but also the seats, steering wheel and armrests in the doors and centre console which are heated, and when cooling the seat ventilation is also activated if the respective optional extra is on board.
Also standard in the S 500 PLUG-IN HYBRID, which is only available with a long wheelbase, are for example LED High Performance headlamps and LED tail lights, leather upholstery, COMAND Online, touchpad, THERMOTRONIC automatic climate control plus seat heating also in the rear, Memory package for driver and front passenger, ambient lighting in seven colours and the air suspension AIRMATIC with continuously variable damping system. The basic safety equipment includes PRE-SAFE®, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS (collision warning including Adaptive Brake Assist), ATTENTION ASSIST, PRE-SAFE® impulse, Crosswind Assist and Traffic Sign Assist (Speed Limit Assist including wrong-way warning function and display of limit speeds in the instrument cluster).
Over and above this a multitude of unique optional extras is available, and here is an extract:

LED Intelligent Light System with variable light distribution for rural road and motorway, active light function, cornering light function, enhanced fog light function and Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus (1773.10 euros)

Head-up Display (1201.90 euros)

Driving Assistance package Plus including DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot, PRE-SAFE® Brake, BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist and PRE-SAFE® PLUS (2677.50 euros, only in conjunction with Active Parking Assist for 1344.70 euros)
Night View Assist Plus with early detection of people and large animals in the dark, including spotlight function (2427.60 euros)

PRE-SAFE® rear package with illuminated seat belt buckle extenders, PRE-SAFE® belt tensioners and beltbags for outer rear seats (1428 euros)

Seat Comfort package for driver and front passenger, comprising: active multicontour seats in the front with dynamic handling function (seat side bolsters are each adjusted via an air chamber) and with ENERGIZING massage function (massage function via 14 air chambers in the seat backrest, massage heating panels in the spinal area), fast-acting seat heating Plus and adjustable lumbar support via three air chambers (2023 euros)

Rear seats electrically adjustable including Memory function comprising: three-seater bench seat with two electrically adjustable outer luxury seats, luxury head restraints with an additional cushion, front passenger seat operable from the rear, two ISOFIX child seat attachment points, two TopTether fastening points, armrest in the rear including double cup holder with wood trim and stowage space (1785 euros)

AIR-BALANCE package, including ionisation, improved air filtering and fragrancing (440.30 euros)

Warmth Comfort package comprising: heated armrest in the driver's and front-passenger door as well as in the centre console, heated armrest in the rear doors, heated armrest in the centre armrest in the rear in conjunction with electrically adjustable rear seats (optional extra), heated armrest in the business console in conjunction with First-Class rear suite (optional extra), buttons for heating the seats and armrests in the door control panels in the doors, heated steering wheel, (630.70 euros)

Panoramic sliding sunroof with convenience and automatic rain-sensor closing function, electric sunblind, obstruction sensor plus PRE-SAFE® closing function (1725.50 euros)

Burmester® high-end 3D surround sound system with 24 loudspeakers, 24 amplifier channels and a total system output of 1540 W (7497 euros)

Individual Entertainment System in the rear including two 25.4 cm (10") displays on the backrest of the driver's and front passenger seat, DVD player, two radio headphones and COMAND remote control (2856 euros)

TV receiver for digital television reception with support from, i.a., multichannel sound, EPG (electronic programme guide) and teletext (1285.20 euros)

[1]Sales price in Germany, incl. 19 percent VAT
Related Gallery 2014 Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-in Hybrid: Frankfurt 2013
View 22 Photos
  • News Source: Mercedes-Benz
  • Green
  • Mercedes-Benz
  • Electric
  • PHEV

By Danny King


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