What happens when Mercedes adds a hybrid drivetrain to its largest sedan?

#7. Want to know how regenerative braking works? Let the S400 show you!

Let's face it: moderately efficient hybrids are as much status symbols as they are earth-savers. With a few twists of the S400's COMAND system rotary knob, the eight-inch sat-nav display is transformed into a full-color, bird's-eye schematic of energy flow between the car's gasoline engine, electric motor, battery, and wheels. Dip the throttle and watch the dotted lines snake from the engine and motor to the wheels; press the brake and watch them flow from the wheels to the battery, indicating the regenerative braking that recharges the lithium-ion battery. Nifty… but pointless. Worse still is a split-view “Fuel Consumption Indicator” bar graph that requires an advanced engineering degree to decipher.

Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid Research
Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid Price Quote