Mercedes-Benz have raised the bar with their flagship saloon, the S500 PH, with V8 power, a V6 engine and four-cylinder economy.
The S-Class was, more often than not, the car to beat on many occasions, pioneering several automotive firsts we see on cars today. Now, Mercedes have launched a newer, more modern plug-in hybrid version of the S, badged the 500 Plug-in Hybrid. Essentially the 400-badged V6 engine getting electric assistance, the new S500 PH driveline will deliver outstanding power, yet even more unbelievable fuel efficiency. The claimed 100.9 mpg UK (35.72 km/l) and 65 g/km of CO2 is more than what a decent family hatchback can manage on a good day.
Don’t let the efficiency fool you, for under the hood, the 333PS/480 Nm twin-turbo V6 finds the company of an electric motor which develops 116 PS and a lot of torque extremely low down. The combined peak output figures are 442 PS and 650 Nm! That’s enough to propel this luxury barge on four wheels to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, and closely match the output of the S500, with its 4.7-litre twin-turbo V8 making 455 PS and 700 Nm. The top speed is limited to 250 km/h.
In the UK, the S500 PH is priced at £87,965 (Rs 88 lakh). Mercedes-Benz India haven’t told us anything yet, so we assume it’s not on their agenda for now. The new GLA-Class compact SUV and CLA-Class (the non-AMG models) are next on the cards, as is the all-new C-Class.
Story: Jim Gorde
