Photo: Stefan Baldauf / Robert Kah
Ever wonted a luxury automobile with prestige, power and performance but that was also as efficient as a Toyota Prius, if not more? Sounds impossible, especially since high end cars are also about being smooth as cream, being at the cutting edge of design and demanding respect.
Many have tried, but Mercedes has cracked it with their latest generation, W222 S-Class, which in Frankfurt made its presence felt in S 500 Plug-In Hybrid mode. The technology that went into this car is truly astonishing.
This 2015 model year begins its auto show tour in Frankfurt and has a lot to wow the German crowds. With 69 g CO2 per kilometer and fuel consumption of 3 liters per 100 km, it's about as green as an econobox yet doesn't skip on luxury. Its powertrain seamlessly combines an 80 kW electric motor with Mercedes' brand new 3-liter turbocharged engine.
Because this is Mercedes's second generation hybrid car, they have't skipped on performance either. The S 500 Plug-In can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.5 and is a good autobahn cruiser.
But engine management will only take you so far, so this engineering marvel also has an anticipatory energy management system, which adjusts response depending on the road ahead (inclines, downhill stretches, bends or speed limits) for the next eight kilometers.
This 2015 model year begins its auto show tour in Frankfurt and has a lot to wow the German crowds. With 69 g CO2 per kilometer and fuel consumption of 3 liters per 100 km, it's about as green as an econobox yet doesn't skip on luxury. Its powertrain seamlessly combines an 80 kW electric motor with Mercedes' brand new 3-liter turbocharged engine.
Because this is Mercedes's second generation hybrid car, they have't skipped on performance either. The S 500 Plug-In can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.5 and is a good autobahn cruiser.
But engine management will only take you so far, so this engineering marvel also has an anticipatory energy management system, which adjusts response depending on the road ahead (inclines, downhill stretches, bends or speed limits) for the next eight kilometers.
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