Mercedes will launch a plug-in hybrid version of its new Mercedes-Benz S-Class at the Frankfurt motor show with CO2 emissions below 75g/km.
Autocar understands the final CO2 figure of the S500 Plug-in Hybrid, as the model will be known, will be just 70g/km in order to trump the 71g/km figure of current lowest CO2 emitter in the luxury saloon segment, the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid. Economy is expected to be above 90mpg on the combined cycle.
The model, previewed at the media launch of the new S-class in Toronto — ahead of its full reveal at Frankfurt — will mix a V6 petrol engine with an electric motor and a battery pack mounted in the boot. Some boot capacity will be lost to the batteries.
The S500 Plug-in Hybrid will be the third and most efficient hybrid in the new S-class line-up. Others offered include the not-for-UK petrol-electric S400 Hybrid and the S300 BlueTec diesel-electric hybrid.
Mercedes sold more hybrids than all of its luxury German rivals put together last year. It sold 20,000 hybrid versions of the previous-gen S-class, 60 per cent of which were in China.
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That is really amazing to
For emissions or for economy
One after the other all car makers are going to join the plug-in bandwagon to avoid penalties.
Hard to imagine a full-scale luxury saloon going in and out of London congestion charge free.
Tax
It's all about tax - stick a non-hybrid through your company and you will be paying tax on more income than you get in real benefit. Shove a hybrid through and on these figures
get full write down against corporation tax in year 1, (b) pay tax on an amount of income well below the real benefit of the car and (c) possibly pay tax on fuel benefit well below the real cost. The costs would be too much for me but one of my business partners could well stick his (next) S class through his company. He's getting fed up of the rude comments about his Panamera (some of them from me 