Mercedes S-Class Hybrid, 2009 Hybrid IntroductionsIn September 2009, Mercedes will begin to sell a hybrid version of its luxury S-Class sedan—the first hybrid to use lighter and more powerful lithium ion batteries. (Europe will see the vehicle earlier in the summer.) The company promises 30 miles per gallon—a 20 percent fuel economy improvement over the conventional S400. The lithium battery may be leading edge technology but it’s offered at a bleeding edge cost: The S-Class starts at about $88,000—so expect the Mercedes hybrid to cost about $30,000 more than the only other luxury hybrid sedan on the market, the V8 Lexus GS 450h.
