As you may recall, for the 2010MY, Mercedes refreshed its S-Class sedan with a subtle cosmetic makeover plus a few changes here and there under the sheetmetal. The facelift also brought the introduction of the new S400 HYBRID which Mercedes claims to be the world's first standard production hybrid model with a lithium-ion battery. The new S400 HYBRID is set to go on sale in Europe in June 2009 with the USA following in September 2009.
The hybrid variant of Merc's S-Class is based on the facelifted S350 and features an extensively modified drivetrain that combines a revised version of the firm's 3.5-liter V6 petrol engine developing 279HP with a 20HP electric motor that's installed in the torque converter housing between the engine and the 7-speed automatic transmission. The hybrid system generates a total output of 299-horsepower and a combined maximum torque of 385 Nm or 283-lbs/ft.
The German automaker claims that the S400 HYBRID consumes on average 7.9 liters of fuel per 100 kilometers in the EU cycle or 29.8mpg US that corresponds to carbon dioxide emissions of 186 grams per kilometer.
