Recently passed Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) rules will punish any car company whose "fleet average" gas mileage is lower than 35 mpg with gas guzzler penalties that could amount to several thousand dollars per car. This would make individual cars more expensive for consumers - and less profitable for the automakers. Hence the hybrid Benz S400.
Instead of the usual V-8 (or V-12) engine and single-digit city and mid-teens fuel economy, the S400's V-6/hybrid powertrain delivers 26 mpg on the highway - and a very respectable (for a full-size, premium sedan) 19 mpg in city-type driving. While not quite 35 mpg, it's considerably closer to that mark than the previous V-8 powered S550's 14 city, 22 highway - and the single digit performance of the V-12 powered S600. This ought to soften the blow of future gas guzzler taxes for Mercedes-Benz.
Buyers, meanwhile, will not be short-changed on power (299 hp from the 3.5 liter V-6/hybrid powertrain) or performance (0-60 in under 7 seconds). And naturally, the S400 will be fitted with all the amenities one would expect to find in a top-of-the-line Mercedes, plus some hybrid-specific features, too - including special instrumentation to keep track of the hybrid gas-electric powertrain's operation.
Instead of the usual V-8 (or V-12) engine and single-digit city and mid-teens fuel economy, the S400's V-6/hybrid powertrain delivers 26 mpg on the highway - and a very respectable (for a full-size, premium sedan) 19 mpg in city-type driving. While not quite 35 mpg, it's considerably closer to that mark than the previous V-8 powered S550's 14 city, 22 highway - and the single digit performance of the V-12 powered S600. This ought to soften the blow of future gas guzzler taxes for Mercedes-Benz.
Buyers, meanwhile, will not be short-changed on power (299 hp from the 3.5 liter V-6/hybrid powertrain) or performance (0-60 in under 7 seconds). And naturally, the S400 will be fitted with all the amenities one would expect to find in a top-of-the-line Mercedes, plus some hybrid-specific features, too - including special instrumentation to keep track of the hybrid gas-electric powertrain's operation.
