German Car Zone

Cedar Point, Ohio – Call it a form of discrimination if you will, but the well-heeled looking for a dash of green in their full-sized luxury sedans had slim pickins here in North America. Only the Lexus LS 600h was on the menu, which currently carries a tag $119,950.

Rich folks need to assuage their eco-quilt too, and now that green is a growing part of our collective consciousness, Mercedes-Benz jumps in with the 2010 S400 BlueHybrid (long wheelbase only) starting at $105,900.

Mercedes-Benz (as well as Audi, BMW and Jaguar) sells an efficient, clean and torquey diesel variant of its flagship sedan in Europe. But this being North America, Mercedes knows attempting to peddle an oil-burner S-Class here would be like pushing an expired 1982 Oldsmobile 98 diesel up the Niagara escarpment. Yes folks, GM pretty much ruined the reputation of the diesel-powered passenger car for us three decades ago and the wounds still haven’t healed. Especially among the more “mature” S-Class demographic.

And so I find myself gliding westward along I90 with the family aboard Mercedes’ brand-new eco-cocoon as part of our annual friends and family excursion to Cedar Point, Ohio. This place features a terrifying collection of stomach churning rides. My kids love these things, but one turn leaves this correspondent as green as the BlueHybrid’s environmental intentions.

Unlike Lexus’ hugely complex “full” hybrid system that allows the LS 600h to run solely on electric power under certain conditions, Mercedes goes for the simpler “mild” system here, similar to Honda’s IMA (Integrated Motor Assist). Sandwiched between the Atkinson-cycle 3.5-litre V6 and seven-speed auto is a magneto-electric motor that provides up to 20 hp and 118 lb.-ft. of torque. It also acts as a starter and generator, capturing kinetic energy usually lost to heat under braking and deceleration, and sending it to the compact lithium-ion battery pack (about the size of a regular car battery) that lives under the hood. This leaves the trunk space unscathed, and the Lexus, which loses 35 per cent of its trunk capacity to its battery pack, green with envy.

Combined output is 295 horsepower and 284 lb.-ft. of torque. Compared to the V8-powered S-Class sedans, the hybrid’s throttle tip-in is quite tepid, but this seems to be all part of the fuel-saving strategy. There is some brisk acceleration to be found further down the throttle travel.

Other fuel conserving measures include tweaked aerodynamics, electric powered air con, low rolling resistance tires, no weighty and power-sapping all-wheel drive, engine auto-stop function and transmission mapping that calls for early upshifts. Mercedes has not adopted direct injection for this V6.


Full Story: Canadian Driver - Test Drive: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 BlueHybrid


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