Photo: Catalin Garmacea
The definition of a full-size luxury sedan is, sadly, too ambiguous to encompass each and every buyer’s expectations in such a vehicle. But in the Mercedes-Benz S-Class’ case, the three-pointed star always had the right range of models to suit most buyers.
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-In Hybrid doesn’t make an exception from that rule, albeit is harder to understand than AMG and diesel-powered Sonderklasse models. With the W222 generation of the breed, the Stuttgart-based car brand really pushed the eco-friendly envelope.
Towering above the S300 BlueTEC Hybrid and the S400 Hybrid, the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-In Hybrid is a perfectly fine luxobarge that sips 8 liters of gasoline per 100 km (29.4 US mpg) on the combined cycle. For this matter alone, this PHEV renders diesel-powered W222s useless if fuel economy is a deal breaker for the customer.
But let’s be frank here - what kind of customer is prepared to pay more than 100,000 euros to buy the greenest S-Class in the range? This vehicle is a status symbol, as any other Sonderklasse, but the hybrid powertrain gives it an edge over the S500 long wheelbase it’s based on and, to some extent, over the too-manic AMG versions.
Of course, electrifying the W222’s platform takes its toll on mass, handling dynamics and the ride comfort. There are other niggles that may put off some potential customers, but from our point of view, the S500 Plug-In Hybrid is the best defined PHEV of the full-size luxury segment.
You’ll be able to find out why from our review of the three-pointed star-branded machine.
Towering above the S300 BlueTEC Hybrid and the S400 Hybrid, the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-In Hybrid is a perfectly fine luxobarge that sips 8 liters of gasoline per 100 km (29.4 US mpg) on the combined cycle. For this matter alone, this PHEV renders diesel-powered W222s useless if fuel economy is a deal breaker for the customer.
But let’s be frank here - what kind of customer is prepared to pay more than 100,000 euros to buy the greenest S-Class in the range? This vehicle is a status symbol, as any other Sonderklasse, but the hybrid powertrain gives it an edge over the S500 long wheelbase it’s based on and, to some extent, over the too-manic AMG versions.
Of course, electrifying the W222’s platform takes its toll on mass, handling dynamics and the ride comfort. There are other niggles that may put off some potential customers, but from our point of view, the S500 Plug-In Hybrid is the best defined PHEV of the full-size luxury segment.
You’ll be able to find out why from our review of the three-pointed star-branded machine.
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