Mercedes S-Class S580e 4Matic L AMG Line Premium 4dr 9G-Tronic Review

Category: Luxury car

Section: Version review

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RRP £118,460

Fuel type:

petrol parallel phev

Gearbox:

semi-auto

Doors:

4 doors

The Mercedes S-Class is packed to the rafters with technology, and is also a very comfortable and exceedingly well-appointed luxury saloon. The Audi A8 is more refined, particularly if you're looking for a diesel, but we’d opt for the S580e anyhow. It’s one of the most impressive plug-in hybrids on sale, combining many of the best points of the standard S-Class with a substantial real-world electric range and low company car tax. On top of all of that, the S-Class’s interior simply can’t be beaten for sheer wow factor.

The trim

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Entry-level AMG Line gets plenty of kit including 19in alloy wheels, air suspension, keyless entry and start, metallic paint, adaptive LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera, soft-close doors and a powered boot lid. Step inside and you’ll find nappa leather covering the heated front and rear seats, with full electric adjustment, including lumbar support, up front. Then there's the four-zone climate control, the nine-speaker stereo, the 12.3in digital driver’s display, the 12.8in infotainment system with wireless smartphone charging and the 64-colour ambient LED lighting. We'd go for the next model up, though, which is AMG Line Premium. It adds the option of the long wheelbase, plus electrically operated and cooled rear seats, a panoramic sunroof, a 360-deg parking camera and a 710-watt/ 15-speaker Burmester sound system.

The engine

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Our pick of the range is the S580e plug-in hybrid. It combines the engine from the S500 with an electric motor and a 28.6kWh battery for a combined output of 503bhp. With a 0-62mph time of just 5.2 seconds, it is properly quick, but we reckon its ability to travel a claimed 63 miles on pure electric is even more impressive. It also has a gobsmacking 353.1mpg figure, but that's only achievable if you keep the battery charged for a lot of electric running.

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