2010 Mercedes-Benz S63/S65 AMG Updated Details

With Mercedes-Benz deciding to refresh its flagship S-Class sedan for 2010, that means the S63 and S65 AMG are also due for an update. The German automaker has just officially unveiled photos and details.

The same engines as in the previous models are under the hood, with a 6.2-liter V8 that lays down 518 horsepower and 456 pound-feet for the S63 and a 6.0-liter twin-turbo V12 that makes 612 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque for the S65. The S65 is mated to a five-speed automatic transmission, while the S63 has a seven-speed sport transmission.

The S63 sprints to 60 mph in less than 4.6 seconds, and its V12 sibling gets up there a bit faster — under 4.4 seconds. Speed is electronically limited to just over 155 mph.



A new arrow-shaped radiator grille adorns the front, and LED daytime running lights have been mounted in the lower-grille air inlets. In back is a body-colored diffuser (current models have a black one), taillights consisting of 52 LEDs and a set of redesigned chrome exhaust pipes. The S63 gets 19-inch multispoke alloys and the S65 gets 20-inch rollers, both colored titanium gray.



The interior is dressed in lots of leather and features an AMG analog clock and aluminum shift paddles. Standard technology includes the Attention Assist drowsiness detection system, Adaptive Highbeam Assist and PreSafe brakes.

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+ BMW 7 Series and Mercedes S Class: Similarities and Differences
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+ 2008 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Review
+ 2009 Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG Black Series

The S63 AMG starts at the equivalent of $192,900 for the short-wheelbase model and $212,900 for the long-wheelbase variant. Pricing on the S65 begins at $309,930. American pricing has yet to be announced.
Gallery: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S63/S65 AMG

2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid Arrives U.S. This September

Mercedes-Benz will introduce its first hybrid car in the US market this September in the form of a face-lifted S-Class (the BIG Mercedes) sedan, the S400 Hybrid. It's also the first time that the current generation S-Class (internal designation W221 for geeks like me) will have a V6 engine rather than a V8 or V12.

In the US, we expect the Big Benz to have a big engine. However, in the rest of the world, the S-Class volume leader has a V6 turbo-diesel engine.

In the UK, for example, the S320 CDI accounted for more than 80% of sales. Why bring a pricey hybrid to a market where the top-selling, much cheaper, turbo-diesel model gets similar fuel economy?

There will be endless articles and tests of the new S400; however, the biggest question is will it sell, particularly in LA, the native environment for the big Merc? The economic downturn has hit everyone, even the rich entertainment suits and above-the-line talent here. Yet an S-Class is such a ubiquitous car on the Westside; I don't see a problem with sales here.



I use the word “sales” loosely because most of these cars are leased. I remember when the new S-Class was unleashed in the LA market in January 2007.

Within a few months, just about every “old” S-Class had been traded for a new one. They couldn't sell them fast enough at Beverly Hills Mercedes or W.I. Simonson in Santa Monica.

Most of these cars are leased for three or four years, so the first leases of the new W221 S-Class will be terminating early in 2010.



The base Merc S550 starts at $90,000. Mercedes-Benz USA hasn't announced pricing yet for the S400 Hybrid; however, speculation is that it will carry a $15 - $20,000 premium over the “entry level” S550.

A well-equipped S-Class sedan usually has $15,000 in options, so the S400 may carry a sticker price of $120,000. If you look at a 3 year lease, the additional payment is only an extra $250 - $400 a month. In LA, that's chump change, particularly when it comes to bragging rights and “green creds” at a cocktail party or in the studio parking lot.



Countless people have ponied up an extra $5k for the hybrid Lexus RX and it doesn't even get much better fuel economy than the base RX V6. However, the Lexus hybrid more comparable in size and form to the Mercedes S400 is the 2009 Lexus LS600h with a base sticker price of $106,910 – a whopping $32,300 premium over the LS460 (long wheel base). At those lofty premiums, it's all about show, not about saving the planet.

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Mercedes-Benz S-Class customers are a loyal breed and they have been conditioned to pay top dollar for the “pinnacle” of German engineering. (BMW might dispute that claim with its new 7-Series.) The 2009 S65 AMG with the twin-turbo Maybach V12 engine has a base sticker of $198,950, so who is going to blink over a measly $120k for a hybrid?



Mercedes is playing down its expectations for the sales volume of the S400. It's better to set the bar low and then brag if you manage to do better.

Let's look at the basics for the new S400. It's a “series” hybrid because the electric motor is sandwiched (in series) between the engine and Mercedes' excellent 7-speed automatic transmission. The corporate 3.5 liter V6 engine has 275 hp and 255 lb-ft torque. The electric motor adds 20 hp and 118 lb-ft torque for combined totals of 295 hp and 283 lb-ft torque at 2400 rpm.

In any normal car, these figures are more than adequate to fly around town; however, the S400 Hybrid tips the scales at a hefty 4,575 lbs. Mercedes claims that the hybrid drivetrain will sling the S400 to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds and with the ultra-slick hybrid-tuned 7-seed automatic transmission, you'll barely feel the shifts. Top speed is limited to 130 mph. Oh, the sacrifices one makes to be socially conscious.



Mercedes claims that the S400 Hybrid will be rated at 23 mpg city 34 mpg highway with combined fuel consumption of 29 mpg. That beats the pants off the Lexus LS600h which is rated at 20 city/22 highway. The Lexus, however, will beat the treads off the Mercedes' low-resistance tires with a zero to 60 time of only 5.5 seconds. Still, the S400 Hybrid will be, by far, the most fuel efficient full-sized luxury sedan sold in the US.

The big innovation in the S440 Hybrid is its lithium-ion battery pack. Mercedes, which just bought 10% of electric car maker Tesla Motors, is using lithium-ion battery technology similar to that found in Tesla's Roadster. The 32 cell, 120 volt, 0.9 amp-hour battery is about the size of a (big) shoe box and it's fitted under the hood, in the front right corner of the engine compartment. Accordingly, there is no compromise in the trunk capacity or back seat room of the big Mercedes.

As with other hybrids, the kinetic energy generated by the electric motor during braking is used to juice up the lithium-ion battery pack. The big problem with any lithium-ion battery is cooling it.

Just think of all the laptop computers and other electronic devices that have had a little fire problem from overheating. The battery itself is assembled by German supplier Continental with cells manufactured by French supplier SAFT at a new, state-of-the-art factory in Narsac, France. [SAFT also operates a joint venture battery operation in the US with US supplier Johnson Controls.] Mercedes cools the battery by running the AC system's refrigerant circulated with its own electric pump (which is necessary when the car is off).




For 2010, all S-Class models get a mild face lift and some additional gee-whiz electronic gadgets: Adaptive Highbeam Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and PRE-SAFE brake systems are linked to a proximity-regulating radar which intervenes autonomously before an impending rear-end collision and acts like an “invisible crumple zone.”

Other electronic innovations include Attention Assist to wake drowsing drivers and Active Body Control with Automatic Crosswind Stabilization. I'm sure this is a must-have option for driving to windy Palm Springs.

The S400 hybrid is considered a “mild hybrid” because it can't operate in electric-only mode. But it is only the first in a line of hybrids Mercedes plans on bringing to the US market. In 2010, we get a “full hybrid” ML SUV to be built in Alabama that uses the two-mode hybrid system jointly developed with GM, Chrysler and BMW.

A full hybrid S-Class should follow the S400 in a few years.
Gallery: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid Sedan

2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Facelift Luxury Sedan Revealed

The 2010 Mercedes-Benz S-Class had revealed at April, while all the world were concerned about the 2009 New York auto show. The 2010 S-Class marks a modest overhaul to the German automaker’s flagship luxury sedan.

In addition to interior and exterior refinements, the new S550 and S600 come with a slew of new and improved high-tech systems, including safety and convenience features.

The S550 continues to be powered by a 382 horsepower V8 with optional 4MATIC all-wheel-drive, while the pricier S600 retains its 510 hp V12. The 2010 S-Class will be in U.S. showrooms beginning in August.

One of the most noticeable changes across the lineup is the addition of daytime LED running lights fitted to the outer edges of the bi-xenon lamp units. The rear end is also accented with a total of 52 distinctively arranged LEDs in the two taillights. Gone are the body-colored strips through the taillamps.

Mercedes-Benz also makes more use of light as a styling element in the interior via the standard ambient lighting, now with a choice between three lighting moods: solar (amber), neutral (white) and polar (ice-blue).



Another noticeable change at the front of the car is a more pronounced arrow-shaped grille, plus a new front bumper with a light-catching contour and a chrome strip below the cooling air intakes.

Exhaust tailpipes of all S-Class variants are now visibly integrated into the rear bumper. Mercedes-Benz says its engineers have also implemented specific aerodynamic measures to reduce wind noise.



Camera and radar-based driver assistance systems include Adaptive Highbeam Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and the Pre-Safe brake system linked to the proximity regulating radar, which intervenes autonomously before an impending rear-end collision. Other highlights include the Attention Assist driver drowsiness monitor and Active Body Control with automatic crosswind stabilization.

Engineers also managed to improve the night-vision system with the introduction of Night View Assist PLUS, which is equipped a special pedestrian detection function.

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The Pre-Safe braking system has also been improved to reduce injuries in unavoidable crashes. Mercedes says the car can apply maximum braking pressure automatically around 0.6 seconds before what is recognized as an unavoidable accident.The system therefore acts as something like an “electronic crumple zone,” Mercedes contends.

The multifunction steering wheel of the S-Class has been modified for improved aesthetics and feel. The rim and airbag module are now lined with soft premium leather as standard. The new, flatter airbag module also lends a sporty touch to the multifunction steering wheel.

Gallery: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S Class (S600)