Mercedes-Benz S-Class review: The S-Class of plug-in hybrids

Long a benchmark for luxury car indulgence, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class can’t escape the march towards electrification. This latest generation, introduced in 2020, is offered in two plug-in hybrid versions, the S 450e and S 580e 4Matic. Both have a sleek 3.0-litre petrol engine combined with a 150hp electric motor and reasonably large 22kWh battery. The result? Up to 67 miles’ pure electric running, and no range anxiety when the battery runs low.

It extends the repertoire of this indulgent car yet further. It helps businesses ferry around their executives around town in a more sustainable way, wafting right up to the door of the next megabucks business deal with the potential for zero city tailpipe emissions.

The rest of the S-Class is as fine as ever, too. With air suspension it rides beautifully, and the S 580e 4Matic’s all-wheel drive means it won’t be bothered by nuisances like wintery weather. It has power in abundance and there are few more relaxing places in which to be driven.

The interior is a luxury masterclass, with an abundance of nappa leather, tactile trims and a customisation programme that lets you tailor both outside and in to your dream spec. While neon green leather might sound like the stuff of nightmares to some, it’s just one of the umpteen options available to customers.

All that said, the S-Class plug-in hybrid does have its foibles. Needless to say, it’s extremely expensive, with prices starting from over £111,000. The boot is surprisingly compromised too, with the high-voltage battery eating into overall capacity. That could make for some embarrassed moments when picking people up at the airport when laden with luggage. This version is also getting on a bit now, relative to younger, fresher rivals.

But, overall, it’s still a highly-rated machine that’s made all the better for its plug-in hybrid tech, wafting the celebrities and CEOs of the world around in richer refinement than ever.

My introduction to the latest Mercedes-Benz S-Class came during a filming day in Milton Keynes. It was fresh from winning the 2021 World Luxury Car award and, while I loved driving it, I sort of wished I had a chauffeur on hand too…

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Independent rating: 8/10

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class plug-in hybrid drivetrain is naturally at the elite end of things. The petrol engine is a 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo, producing either 299hp or 367hp. To this is added a 150hp electric motor and 22kWh battery.

In the S 450e, it combines 67 miles of electric range with a 0-62mph time of 5.9 seconds. The more powerful S 580e 4Matic, which has all-wheel drive as standard and a more potent engine, delivers 62mph in 4.9 seconds, yet still has 63 miles of electric range.

In practice, either is wonderful to experience. Refinement in pure electric mode is exceptional, and it’s hardly any louder when the petrol engine starts up. It’s not just engine noise that’s kept at bay either, with hushed wind and road noise also helping enhance the drive – or, as is often the case for an S-Class, passenger ride.

The standard air suspension soaks up potholes with aplomb, and helps maintain an even keel even during more spirited drives. It automatically lowers at speed too, boosting efficiency on the motorway.

When it’s time to charge the battery, powerful 60kW DC rapid-charge capability can take it from 10-80 per cent charge in just 20 minutes. That’s perfect for drivers who want to extend the S-Class plug-in hybrid’s electric ability. It also has an 11kW AC onboard charger, and will take around three and a half hours to charge at home via a 7.4kW wall box.

The accelerator pedal has a clever ‘haptic’ feature to help the driver stay in EV mode. There’s a ‘pressure point’ in the travel before the petrol engine kicks in, making it easier to maintain electric mode and use the full performance available in EV guise without causing the engine to fire up. It’s a bit odd at first, but actually works pretty well.

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The Mercedes-Benz S-Class interior is a lavish place to be. Quality is superb, with everything feeling posh and luxurious – the ultra-soft nappa leather fitted as standard really adds to the sense of indulgence (special mention to the pillow-soft head restraint cushions as well). I also love the ambient lighting, which sweeps around the cabin and brings it to life at night.

These days, the S-Class is digital-first, with a portrait-orientated centre screen replacing most of the physical buttons of older models. It’s fairly intuitive to use though, more so than some other setups. There are buttons on the steering wheel – dual rows on each side – but, sadly, they are painfully fiddly touch-sensitive controls which I really couldn’t get on with.

Things are better in the back. The S-Class now comes in ‘Long’ guise as standard, with the long wheelbase delivering even more legroom in the rear. It’s palatial back there, and made all the more comfortable by standard-fit electrically-adjustable seats that are also heated and ventilated. With four-zone climate control too, each passenger can create their own microclimate – or enjoy the fresh outdoors via the sliding panoramic sunroof. Soft-close tech means they won’t even have to exert effort slamming the door closed – should the chauffeur fail to do that for them, of course.

Move up to AMG Line Premium Plus, and there’s the further luxury of heated arm rests front and rear, while AMG Line Premium Plus Executive includes foot rests and passenger tables, rear sun blinds, a handheld tablet for rear passengers to control various functions, and even electric seatbelt feeders that put the belt within easy reach when you sit down. For £3,000 a high-end rear seat entertainment package is available, with dual 11.6-inch displays that have TV, streaming services and a web browser, plus wireless headphones too.

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The 12.8-inch centre infotainment screen is an OLED display with superb clarity. It runs the MBUX software system, which is a delight to use. It’s both packed with features yet not too intimidating to use, and it looks wonderful. A 12.3-inch 3D driver display complements this, while AMG Line Premium Plus adds an augmented reality head-up display too.

All models of S-Class have wireless smartphone charging in the front, with top-spec models extending it to the rear. There are no fewer than eight USB sockets throughout the cabin.

There’s plentiful clever tech, as you’d expect from a luxury range-topper. All models have a standard fingerprint scanner, for example. This gives quick access to personal data and payment options – something the infotainment tech facilitates – and two fingerprints can be stored. There’s geofencing, which sends a phone notification if the car enters or leaves a defined area, and it can even push out speed limit warnings, identifying exactly when and where a pre-defined speed was exceeded. You can imagine HR loving this.

All but entry-level S-Class have ‘Digital Light’ headlights. Each lamp has more than one million pixels, which can project a main beam up to 650 metres ahead. Cleverly, they can also display messages on the road, such as to warn about tight turns, and even pick out pedestrians.

As standard, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class plug-in hybrid has a superb 15-speaker, 710W Burmester 3D sound system. It even uses an algorithm to help tailor the sound to your preference, thens stores this with your personal profile.

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It won’t be a surprise to find the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a very expensive car. The S 450e Long AMG Line Premium starts from £111,685, with the S 580e 4Matic alternative priced from over £119,000. And if you want to tailor it in the way Mercedes-Benz allows, you could easily add another five-figure amount on top.

Where the S-Class plug-in hybrid will pay dividends is in cutting fuel costs. Instead of being a gas-guzzling luxury limo, it is able to run for a generous distance in pure electric mode. If the day is spent mainly ferrying executives around the city, the petrol engine may rarely fire up – and the electric assistance will help make it more efficient for those longer-distance runs to the airport, too.

There’s no escaping group 50 insurance, mind. Servicing and maintenance costs will befit the car’s status, too – and I don’t know of a particularly cheap way to buy tyres for those 20-inch wheels, either.

Speedy 60kW DC rapid charging means the Mercedes-Benz S-Class can go from 10-80 percent in 20 minutes.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is very expensive, particularly in plug-in hybrid guise. But then, it is the S-Class of PHEVs…

All Mercedes-Benz S-Class PHEV have a high-voltage battery certificate that provides warranty cover for up to six years or 62,000 miles.

Our team of motoring experts have decades of experience driving, reviewing and reporting on the latest EV cars, and our verdicts are reached with every kind of driver in mind. We thoroughly test drive every car we recommend, so you can be sure our verdicts are honest, unbiased and authentic.

I’m always wowed by the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and it is particularly brilliant in plug-in hybrid guise. The large battery gives a generous EV range and the creamy six-cylinder petrol engine means it remains luxurious even when the battery is depleted. The interior is masterful too, and particularly for rear passengers since all models are now long-wheelbase as standard.