The 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class lineup gains a new gas/electric
hybrid model. The S400 Hybrid is this German brand’s first hybrid
passenger car. It pairs a 3.5-liter V6 gas engine with a battery-powered
electric motor for 295 hp total. It uses a 7-speed automatic
transmission. The S400’s hybrid system is capable of shutting off the
engine while slowing down and at a stop, but the car cannot accelerate
solely on electric power. It does not require plug-in charging.
The rest of the S-Class lineup offers a few new features for 2010.
Rear-wheel-drive S550 and all-wheel-drive S550 models have a 382-hp
5.5-liter V8. The high-end S600 reprises a turbocharged 5.5-liter 510-hp
V12. The S63 and S65 are tuned by Mercedes’ AMG performance division.
S63 uses a 518-hp 6.2-liter V8 while the S65 has a 604-hp 6.0-liter
turbocharged V12. S550 and S63 models have a 7-speed automatic
transmission while V12 S-Class versions use a 5-speed automatic.
Available safety features include ABS, traction control, antiskid
system, curtain side airbags, and front and rear side airbags. Mercedes’
Pre-Safe system is standard; it senses an impending collision and
tightens the seat belts and applies additional braking force. New is
Mercedes’ ATTENTION ASSIST driver-fatigue alert, which sounds a chime
and displays a warning in the instrument cluster if sensors detect a
driver who might be drowsy at the wheel. Also included is Mercedes’ Tele
Aid assistance and its COMAND system, which incorporates a video screen
and console-mounted “joystick” knob to control audio, navigation,
phone, and other functions; it also accepts voice commands.
Available features include ventilated and massaging front seats, heated
and ventilated rear seat, and keyless access and starting. Also offered
is a rearview camera and Mercedes’ Distronic Plus adaptive cruise
control.
COMPETITION
Consumer Guide Automotive places each vehicle into one of 18
classes based on size, price, and market position. Premium Large Cars
are top-of-the-line sedans in size and luxury. Many are manufacturer
flagships and/or showcases for the newest automotive technology. Some
have six-figure price tags.
Our Best Buys are the Hyundai
Genesis, Lexus LS, and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. Our Recommended picks are
the Audi A8 and Cadillac DTS.
New or significantly redesigned
models include the Fisker Karma, Jaguar XJ, Lexus LS, and Porsche
Panamera. The BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class gain gas/electric
hybrid models for 2010.
The one absolutely unassailable benefit about the hybrid
revolution is that it has upset the homogeneity that has been pervading
the automotive industry as of late. Take the über-luxury sedan segment.
In recent years, almost every manufacturer - BMW, Audi, Jaguar and
Mercedes-Benz - followed the same strict formula: A mid-displacement V8
powered the entry-level model - if an $85,000-plus sedan can ever be
called entry-level - upstaged by a seriously expensive 12-cylinder land
yacht. It was a protocol that the BMW 7 Series, Mercedes-Benz S-Class,
Jaguar XJ and Audi A8 followed without variation. That’s until the green
revolution and the Lexus LS 600hL threw a monkey wrench into the entire
regimen.
Suddenly, the strict eight- and 12-cylinder protocol was no
longer universal since the LS hybrid stood atop the Lexus lineup where a
V12 normally stood.
It’s been a couple of years since the LS 600 made its debut and
we finally have Europe’s answer with both Mercedes and BMW offering
hybrid versions of their iconic S-Class and 7 Series luxo-barges.
But this is where that divergence I mentioned comes in. Where the
LS 600hL stresses fuel economy with adequate performance and the BMW
ActiveHybrid 7 - in keeping with corporate philosophy - is all about
performance with its hybrid electric motor hooked up to a twin-turbo V8,
Mercedes takes the opposite tack, marrying its small 3.5-litre V6 with a
“mild” hybrid powertrain to emphasize economy, both in sticker price
and fuel consumption.
The S400 is really the economy-minded - again, if anything that
retails for $105,900 can be called economical - luxury hybrid, the
technology a far cry from the complicated arrangement the LS 600 and
even Toyota’s much lower-cost Prius boast. Instead, the Mercedes uses a
very Honda Insight-like arrangement with its 20-horsepower electric
motor sandwiched between the V6 engine and the transmission.
Besides, though the Mercedes is the first production automobile to use
the much-touted lithium ion battery for hybrid use, it’s a tiny affair,
not much bigger than a standard automotive battery and much smaller than
those powering full hybrids.
All this means that the electric motor cannot power the big Merc
all by itself. It does allow the engine to shut off at stoplights,
however, and acts in concert with the V6 when serious acceleration is
called for. It is, in these two ways, that the hybrid conserves gas
compared with the V8s and V12s otherwise employed in Mercedes’
top-of-the-line vehicles. Rated at 11 litres per 100 kilometres in the
city and 7.7 L/100 km on the highway by Transport Canada, the S400 is,
on paper at least, more frugal than Mercedes’ smallest V8, the S450.
And it delivers on that promise of superior fuel economy, though
it depends on the type and style of driving you do. Driven Prius-like
frugally on the highway, for instance, can see the S400 sip as little as
8.7L per 100 klicks, superior mileage for a monster as large as the
S-Class. Driven in a more Boothian manner around town, the average was
in the 12.5-L/100-km range, still better than what I usually achieve in
most large luxury sedans but certainly not otherworldly.
But even if the S400 doesn’t always deliver astounding economy,
neither does it sacrifice significant performance for the frugality it
does deliver. Rated together, the 3.5L/electric motor combination boasts
295 horsepower and 284 pound-feet of peak torque (118 lb-ft alone from
the electric motor at truly low rpm). Pushed hard, of course, you’ll
notice a difference between the S400’s thrust and the S550, but on no
occasion did the hybrid Mercedes feel anything less than stellar.
My only powertrain complaint is that when goosed hard, the
gasoline engine is not the most sophisticated-sounding engine on the
planet. It’s an unusual 90-degree V6 and, though Mercedes has quelled
all the vibration endemic to this odd layout, the engine’s exhaust note
is not as melodious as one expects from a top-of-the-line Mercedes. The
good news is that, with all the low-end torque afforded by the
supplementary electric motor, you don’t call on maximum warp all that
often.
Mercedes’ big S-Class has been moderately updated this year with
minor exterior and interior upgrades. Nonetheless, it still remains the
luxury segment’s stalwart, possessed of great luxury along with a
plethora of class-leading creature comforts and electronic features. The
optional (as part of the Premium package) multi-contour seats are a
prime example. Adjusted through the Comand onboard computer, there’s a
truly dizzying array of padding alterations available not to mention the
multi-faceted massage machine (I preferred the fast and vigorous
setting; most, however, chose the slow and gentle position. And, yes,
slow and vigorous and fast and gentle are options).
Another useful part of the S400’s $6,100 Premium package was the
rear-view camera, which, combined with Mercedes
tilt-down-when-in-reverse side mirrors, is the best combination for easy
parking. Lexus may boast automatic parking, but give me the pairing of
easily accessible information as to how far my bumper is from creaming
the Toyota behind me and exactly how far those expensive alloy wheels
are from the curb and I’m a happy camper.
In the end, Mercedes’ choice of emphasizing economy over
performance in its top-of-the-range sedan is fitting. Unlike those
shopping BMW’s 7 Series who may be looking for ultimate performance in a
large luxury sedan, few buy an S-Class to tear up the road. Besides,
there’s all manner of options for that kind of behaviour - the S550, S63
and S65. With the S400, driving like a banker doesn’t necessarily mean
consuming like one.
National Post
dbooth@nationalpost.com
The Specs:
Type of vehicle: Rear-wheel-drive, luxury sedan
Engine: Electric motor/3.5L DOHC V6
Power: 295 hp @ 6,000 rpm; 284 lb-ft of torque @ 2,400 rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed manumatic
Brakes: Four-wheel disc with ABS
Tires: P235/60R17
Price: base/as tested: $105,900/$114,500
Destination charge: $1,995
Transport Canada fuel economy L/100 km: 11 city, 7.7 hwy.
Standard features: Power door locks, windows and mirrors, front
and rear air conditioning with micron air filter, harman/kardon
AM/FM/CD/MP3 player, Sirius satellite radio, steering wheel-mounted
audio controls, navigation system, cruise control, power glass sunroof,
information display, tilt and telescopic steering wheel, leather seats,
12-way power adjustable front seats, heated front seats, auto
headlights, power rear sunshade, dual front air bags, side curtain air
bags, Attention Assist, Adaptive Highbeam Assist, TeleAid emergency
calling system, Advanced Parking Guidance.
For full-line manufacturers of premium cars, a company’s entry-level compact is almost always its most popular model. Buyers can usually get most of the luxury features offered on the top-line cars–along with the manufacturer’s prestigious badge and dealer’s kid-glove treatment–for a fraction of top-line prices.
What to Look For in a Premium Compact Car
As with any compact, size matters. Premium compacts suffer the same limitations as their non-premium counterparts in terms of interior and cargo space, so making sure you and your intended passengers can fit and live in harmony is of utmost importance. In most cars in this class, an average-size adult can fit behind another average-size adult, but one or the other might not enjoy spacious accommodations. Cargo room is also limited, so for many buyers, the same money would be better spent on a loaded midsize car, or a lower-priced premium midsize car.
Four-door sedans dominate the class, but many models offer a wagon, and one offers a four-door hatchback. Three two-door convertibles, a pair of two-door coupes, and a lone two-door hatchback are in the mix as well. Note that it’s difficult to access the rear seat on two-door models, and all have a rear seat that can hold only two passengers, who typically get less legroom.
Many cars in the premium compact class exhibit a sporting flair, but some buyers may not appreciate the sacrifices made to attain it. Low-profile tires fitted to those snazzy large-diameter wheels make the ride suffer. The combination may look great, but especially when the wheels are combined with a stiffer sport suspension (as they often are), the car may ride harshly over bumps. Since it could take some looking to find bumpy patches on a dealer’s preapproved test-drive route, scouting out bad pavement in advance is advisable. Also, these low-profile performance-oriented tires are often considered “summer tires,” which means they aren’t designed to grip well in snowy or cold conditions. If that’s something you’ll likely encounter, make certain you get all-season tires, or switch to all-seasons or winter tires during the cold months.
Most buyers of premium compacts aren’t as price-sensitive as those considering traditional compact cars, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want good value for the money. Some premium compacts don’t come standard with what many feel are required premium features, and adding them can be expensive. A competing model that has a higher base price but comes nearly loaded may end up costing less in the end.
Buying your first luxury vehicle can be quite exciting. If you have the
money and the freedom in your life, you may want to invest in a luxury
vehicle. When it comes down to it, you have a lot of options. You could
go with a luxury sedan, or you could go with a luxurious sports car,
like a Bugatti Veyron 0-60 –
one of the fastest cars in the world. Whatever the case is, you want to
consider a number of factors before you invest in a luxury car. Not
only will you be spending a lot of money on your car, you will also be
spending a lot of money on maintenance, especially when it comes to
high-performance gasoline, oil, and tune-ups.
Here are five major
factors to consider before buying your first luxury car:
- Engine capacity - Some sports cars can go fast – really fast - Aesthetic presentation - Advanced features - On top of everything, you also want to consider the cost of a luxury vehicle before you purchase.
