Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid Lags Behind Lexus
Fresh from the release of a brand new hybrid edition of its popular M-Class sport utility vehicle, Mercedes-Benz have finally revealed a tentative release date for its similarly-powered full-size sedan. First presented to the media at the beginning of 2008, buyers in North America have been anxiously awaiting the German competitor to the popular Lexus LS 600h L. The company had been quite coy as to when the vehicle would make it to showrooms in the United States, but it would seem that the warm reception afforded the ML450 hybrid prompted the luxury car company to solidify its plans.Dubbed the S400 Hybrid, the sedan is actually based on quite a different overall package than the gasoline / electric ML450 Hybrid. Whereas the truck is a two-mode design, the S400 is in fact a mild hybrid. What this means is that unlike the SUV, which can see its four wheels actually powered exclusively by either a battery or its gasoline engine, the S400's 20 horsepower electric motor instead acts as a form of assistance to the conventional power plant. This enables the automobile to save on fuel while still providing excellent acceleration. In addition to 118 lb-ft of torque available right off the line, the electric motor also provides a 30 percent reduction in fuel usage when compared to the company's S550 V8-powered sedan. Of course, the S400's power is not quite as impressive as that of the more robust version of the S-Class, but with a 3.5 liter V6 generating 275 horsepower, Mercedes-Benz claims a combined 295 actual ponies underneath the right foot.
The hybrid system is also capable of shutting down the S400's engine while the vehicle is stopped in order to further reduce fuel consumption. During this 'resting' state, the sedan's electronics and features are powered by a lithium-ion battery, which Mercedes-Benz is touting as the first of its kind in a production automobile. The battery, which is charged by either the engine itself or the recuperation of kinetic forces generated during braking, is much more advanced than the standard nickel / metal hydride batteries found in most hybrid vehicles. Its higher energy density has made it very popular as a power source for laptop computers and other portable electronics. In the S400 it is able to occupy so little space when compared to a standard battery that no aspect of the vehicle's passenger compartment or trunk had to be changed from that of a regular production S-Class in order to accommodate it.
While the S400 is loaded to the gills with all the usual Mercedes-Benz gadgets, driver's aides and luxury features, it is uncertain whether buyers will flock to the green machine. With Lexus touting a much more impressive hybrid system, and Mercedes-Benz themselves offering a two-mode in the ML450, it seems a strange oversight to release a mild hybrid version of the company's flagship sedan. Environmentally-conscious buyers may choose to pass over the S400 when it goes on sale in August in favor of more complete hybrid vehicles already available on the market.