LAOIS MOTORING:  New Mercedes S-Class now with hybrid power

I suppose when it comes to large luxury cars while BMW have the 7 Series it is the Mercedes S-Class that has held the mantle of the worlds best large luxury saloon for many years. This latest car is the 7th generation of this venerable model and boasts the very latest in automotive technology while cosseting the passengers in absolute luxury.

Now a test of an S-class should probably include a spell in the rear seats as quite a few owners of this car will be driven in it rather than drive it. However my review is unashamedly from the drivers seat only!

Prices for the new S-Class 580E PHEV long wheel base start at €150,000.

So has it any street cred?

The styling of the new S-Class is not revolutionary in any way. Indeed when you see the new E-Class the S-Class looks rather like a larger version of that car which I think is a pity. A bit more model differentiation would have been nice. That said it does look well from all angles.

So what is it like inside?

While the designers of the exterior may have been using restraint the interior designers really went for it! Open the door and apart from the aroma of sumptuous leather the driver is now surrounded by two huge screens. One in front of the driver for the digital instrumentation and a sloping curved 12.8 inch OLED touchscreen which has all the functions such as phone, climate control and so forth. It's an excellent easy to use screen with crystal clear displays. Not a button in sight.

The list of standard equipment is huge and I cannot include it all here. However worthy of highlighting is the hands off auto parking, (Parktronic), fingerprint scanner, pedestrian protection, MBUX augmented reality for navigation,  a host of driver assist systems, Magic Vision control, Multibeam LED headlights, Pre Safe and much more.

The interior is beautifully finished and bathed in a choice of colours for the ambient lighting. I love the design touches such as the “floating” effect of the door handles inside and the way everything blends beautifully into the overall design. Less impressive is the use of “faux” leather for the dash board top and door card tops.

It is though a wonderful place to be whether driving or as a passenger.

What's under the bonnet?

A 3.0 litre, 6 cylinder silky smooth petrol engine  which produces 367 bhp and an electric motor which gives an additional 150bhp producing a combined total of 510bhp and some 750NM of torque. Mated to the Mercedes 9-G Tronic auto gearbox it endows the new S-Class with very good performance.

It proved pretty good on fuel too considering the size of this car burning just 8.8 litres per 100km. Equally impressive is the electric range. Mercedes claim 100km or so but I achieved 90Km which is an excellent result for a PHEV making this a practical plug in hybrid. Road tax is just €140.00 for a year!

What's it like to drive?

The new S-Class does not encourage you to hustle it along a twisty country road. But slip it into Sport mode and the standard air suspension stiffens up giving the car a surprising amount of agility. Nevertheless wafting along at a more leisurely pace it what the S-Class does best. Its super refined and smooth, with barely any intrusion from the outside world.

So to the Verdict?

It is beautifully built, boasts the very latest in automotive technology and is a truly special place to travel in whether driver or passenger.

In my opinion the new S-Class retains the mantle of best luxury car in the world!

The Mercedes S-Class 580e PHEV as tested with AMG options costs €159,286.

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