Mercedes-Benz’s facelifted S-Class family has just
received a new member, dubbed the S 560e, a new plug-in hybrid. The luxury
hybrid combines the brand’s familiar 367 hp 3.0-liter V6 engine with an
electric motor delivering an extra 90 kW and 440 Nm of torque. These two
powertrains work in conjunction with Mercedes’ 9G-TRONIC Plus automatic
transmission and the electric motor is actually housed alongside the torque
converter and clutch in a compact hybrid drive unit.
When the S 560e is running solely on the electric
motor, it has a range of approximately 50 km thanks to the lithium-ion
battery’s capacity of 13.5 kWh. Combined fuel consumption over the European
cycle sits at just 2.1-liters per 100 km.
Despite the increase in energy content of the
battery, it is actually smaller than its predecessor and this allows the
facelifted model’s trunk capacity to swell from 395 liters to 410 liters.
To help ensure maximum fuel efficiency, the S 560e
includes a technology dubbed ECO Assist. This piece of tech takes into account
traffic situations and information to display driving recommendations and
assist in smooth driving. In fact, the system is so advanced that it
continuously generates coasting simulations in the background and is able to
compute whether fuel can be saved if the vehicle is to coast freely.
Another interesting titbit in the S560e is its use
of extended pre-entry climate control which allows the driver to determine the
air conditioning and heating temperature via the Mercedes me app before they
step into the vehicle.
