The latest addition to the plug-in hybrid party line is Mercedes-Benz with the new Mercedes-Benz S550 Plug-In Hybrid. The company says that this model of the luxury sedan brings together an ultramodern hybrid drive configuration with the unique innovations and the luxurious equipment and appointments of the S-Class. It is also the first certified 3-litre luxury sedan in the world.
"The S550 PLUG-IN HYBRID is the first luxury sedan with the performance of a V8 and the fuel consumption of a compact model. The greatest challenge in this is to translate 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 a high-tech hybrid drive," says Prof. Dr. Thomas Weber, member of the Daimler Board of Management responsible for Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars Development.
Talking in terms of specs, the Mercedes-Benz S550 plug-in hybrid develops 436bhp (internal combustion engine: 329bhp) and 649Nm torque, goes from 0 - 100Km/h in 5.2 seconds and can drive up to 20 miles (32Km) purely electrically. The company owes these figures to the V6 biturbo and the intelligent hybrid drive. The new high-voltage lithium-ion battery with an energy content of 8.7 kWh can be externally recharged via the charging socket in the right side of the rear bumper.
The hybrid transmission is based on the 7-speed automatic transmission. The plug-in-hybrid system in the S-Class is based on the Mercedes-Benz parallel hybrid modular system. The common system-specific feature is the additional clutch integrated between combustion engine and electric motor. On the one hand, it decouples the combustion engine during purely electric operation; on the other hand, if the combustion engine is employed it affords the possibility to move off drawing on the performance of a wet start-up clutch. The clutch then substitutes for the torque converter and requires no additional space owing to its complete integration in the torque converter housing.
Other than that, the S550 Plug-In Hybrid also debuts the extended pre-entry climate control. This is target value controlled, meaning that at the start of the journey the S-Class is air conditioned to the preset temperature if the driver has entered the departure time via the S-Class Vehicle Homepage. This is possible due to the electrically driven refrigerant compressor and electric heating elements for the heated air. In addition, when preheating it is not just the interior air but also the seats, steering wheel and armrests in the doors and center console which are heated, and when cooling the seat ventilation is also activated if the respective optional extra is on board.
