Flying higher and hy-er: the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Hybrid Review [Video]

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The three pointed star of Mercedes always seems to be a stride ahead in the incredibly competitive battle for supremacy in the luxury saloon segment. In its 6th generation guise they have put forward a range of 3 hybrids to challenge the economic supremacy of diesel power. Is the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Hybrid up to the task?

Many people consider economy to be a sacrifice synonymous with the full sized luxury saloon segment – the sheer size and power benchmark prohibiting anything realistic in this regard. Like driving a Chieftain tank to work. But slightly less overt. However with this new range of hybrid power plants we can see this viewpoint turned on its head. Don’t we love technology eh?

There are 3 variants of the cool 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class hybrid setup – the entry level of this range is a relatively small premium from the top selling S350 conventional diesel model, which begs the question – why not just go hybrid? The S300 BlueTEC is a diesel-electric power plant which marries a 204bhp 2.2ltr 4 cylinder diesel engine (from the C and E-Class – which in fairness are a bit rougher than the S-Class may be used to) and a 27bhp electric motor. It gives off fantastically frugal fiesta level emissions and reaches 62mph from standing in 7.7 seconds up to the artificially restrained universal S-Class top speed of 155mph.

Next up we have the S400 petrol/electric model, which boasts a 306bhp 3.5ltr 6 cylinder V6 engine and another 27bhp electric motor. This gives returns on par with the conventional diesel engine while still giving a punchy performance – the 0-62 here has been trimmed to 6.8 seconds. It’s the best all-rounder between the 3 Mercedes hybrids.

The shortcoming of these 2 variants is the electric only range, which only acquaints to about a single mile due to the small motor. They are still impressively efficient as a package despite this, and the added bonus of not having a larger motor is the fact that the battery doesn’t eat into any boot space, leaving you exactly the same amount as you would have in a conventional S-Class model.

Last but not least, if you’ve got an excess of money you don’t know what to do with then you’ll need to get yourself the simply astounding S500 plug in hybrid. This incredible machine marries a 329bhp V6 petrol engine and a 107bhp electric motor which isn’t just naturally pokier but also allows it to have a much more usable electric only range of a full 18 miles, meaning that if you’re not travelling longer distances you can potentially go without ever having to put any petrol in it. With this power plant there are incredible improvements to power, fuel economy and running costs with a 0-62 sprint of 5.5 seconds while returning an incredible 94mpg and 69g/pk of CO2 … putting that in perspective – this is a 2 tonne luxury limousine with the running costs of a supermini! Sheer madness! This will entitle you to free tax for the 1st year and then just £30 every year after that. That being said this S500 is a very pricy option but well worth it if you have the capital.

These hybrids all give a rewarding driving experience as with the conventional S-Class variants. Unlike the standard S-class range, the hybrids don’t come with the incredibly advanced Magic Body Control setup, but fear not – they do have the impressive Airmatic air suspension which gives a wonderfully magic-carpet like ride over most things you’re ever likely to hit anyway. As with the rest of the S-Class it comes with all the rest of the clever goodies you’d expect such as a stiffer chassis, torque vectoring, ADS+ adaptive dampers, cross wind stabilisation, intelligent head and tail LED lights. That’s not to mention the plethora of amazing COMAND infotainment options and all the classy, sumptuous touches that make an S-Class an S-Class – for more information on this, read our fantastic 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class review.

All in all, what’s the lowdown with the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid? The S-Class is ploughing ahead as the leader for hybrids in the luxury saloon segment with a wide and incredibly well engineered range of hybrid options. The S400 is the most well rounded as a package, however the S300 is more cost effective and the S500 is just incredible if you can afford it. It depends on your budget and priorities, but one thing is certain – whichever 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class hybrid you choose you will certainly not be disappointed by being on the cutting edge of the luxury segment. So the answer we asked before: are the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Hybrids up to the task of dislodging the supremacy of diesel economy? Hell yes they are.

If you want to get hold of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Hybrid then don’t hesitate to leave us a message on our contact us page or give us a call on 01903 538835 to find out about our Mercedes lease deals.