Mercedes-Benz’s S500 Plug-In Hybrid- in pictures

All hybrids are dull. Not this one.

About the only compromise it makes is that boot capacity is reduced from 530 to 395 litres, as the battery pack for the electric motor takes up some of the luggage space, but this is hardly likely to be a deal-breaker for most buyers.

While the electric motor and twin-turbo V6 combine to provide a decent shove in the spine, there isn’t the effortless waftability (sorry, Rolls-Royce) that you get in the mainstream S500.

Decadent types may well scoff at the newfangled tech crammed within this car – and promptly place an order for the full-fat, V8-powered S500 instead – but it’s a tangible sign of where the three-pointed star is heading.

It’s fairly obvious that the S500 PIH will generate most of its sales in markets where fuel prices are high and/or where governments offer consumers subsidies for purchasing a hybrid or electric vehicle.

Mercedes-Benz’s S500 Plug-In Hybrid is a lesser force than its V8-powered sibling, but the smart car’s tech-packed facilities and frugal fuel consumption, make it one to be reckoned with, anyway. All photos courtesy of Daimler AG