Mercedes-Benz S-Class S560e 2018 first drive

The new Mercedes-Benz S560e is the S-Class of choice for the more environmentally conscious business tycoon, in that it’s currently the closest thing on offer to a fully electric version of Stuttgart’s flagship saloon.

It’s the successor to the S500e from 2014 and brings with it a number of changes that result in not only performance being increased, but range too. Where that older model mated a 329bhp V6 with a 114bhp electric motor, the S560e brings a 362bhp V6 to the table, along with a 121bhp electric motor.

This makes for a total system output of 470bhp, while torque stands at 516lb ft. It’s a fairly potent machine, then; the sprint from 0-62mph is dispatched in 5.0sec, while top speed is limited to 155mph. But as quick as this new S-Class is, its capability for zero-emissions motoring is arguably of greater importance.

That electric motor is now powered by 13.5kWh battery, as opposed to the older car’s 8.7kWh unit, which, courtesy of greater cell capacity (up to 37Ah from 22Ah), now allows the S560e to cover around 30 miles on electricity alone, at a top speed of 80mph. By contrast, the S500e could manage an electric range of just 20 miles.

A new water-cooled 7.4kW charger, meanwhile, means the battery can be charged from 10 to 100% in as little as one and a half hours. That said, to achieve this charging time, you’ll need to fork out for a dedicated wallbox - otherwise you’ll be faced with a charge time of about five hours if you plug in to a regular household socket.

The S560e is incredibly relaxing, smooth and refined - almost to the point where being stuck in heavy traffic in an unfamiliar city is a completely stress-free experience.

Acceleration away from the lights courtesy of the electric motor is incredibly gentle, while the S560e’s low-speed ride is largely impeccable, save from the gentlest of intrusions from lumps and bumps in the road’s surface. There’s also the added sense of smugness that comes from knowing your opulent and expensive luxury barge is doing less to contribute to inner-city smog than the clapped-out diesel hatch you might find next to you.

Well, at least until the V6 engine fires into life, anyway - although when it does, the transition from electric to petrol power is seamless to the point of being nearly undetectable. It’s a pleasingly smooth engine, too, while the growl it emits under throttle - though distant-sounding due to the level of isolation from the outside world the S560e’s cabin provides - still has a decidedly muscular character about it. The manner in which it accelerates, meanwhile, is every bit as linear and smooth as you’d expect it to be.