2023 Mercedes-Benz S580e PHEV Upstages the EQS EV

From the November 2023 issue of Car and Driver.

Mercedes’s EQS sedan seeks to be the S-class of electric vehicles, but it feels alien and lifeless compared with the brand’s beloved flagship. The new-for-2023 plug-in-hybrid Mercedes-Benz S580e, however, steps confidently into the future while preserving the Sonderklasse’s past and does so with few compromises.

The PHEV S-class pairs a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with an electric motor. Exceeding its 46-mile EPA range estimate, it traveled 58 miles on electricity alone in our 75-mph range test—that’s greater than any other PHEV we’ve tested (unless you count the BMW i3 with a range extender; you shouldn’t).

Of course, the electric EQS goes farther, but range anxiety remains an issue on long trips. The S580e avoids those worries by offering gas fill-ups along with DC fast-charging capability, a rarity among plug-in hybrids. Mercedes claims the optional 60-kW charging hardware ($500) takes the 22.7-kWh battery from 10 to 80 percent in 20 minutes.

The faster charging capability and numerous add-ons meant our S580e cost nearly $140,000 as tested. Still, its $123,700 base price undercuts the V-8-powered S580 by $1450 and the EQS580 by $3400.

The S580e’s cabin is properly palatial, with headrest pillows that rival Ambien. The $3800 Warmth & Comfort package heats and ventilates the rear seats yet weirdly leaves riders back there without climate controls. Rear-seat rheostats require the $16,100 Executive Line package. We also scoffed at the second row’s two cupholders, which we struggled to release from the center armrest. The touch controls on the steering wheel are finicky, but mercifully, the EQS’s giant Hyperscreen isn’t here; its absence leaves space for upscale dash trim commensurate with the sedan’s price. The hybrid’s interior registered a hushed 64 decibels during 70-mph cruising, matching the EQS580.

The S580e’s plug-in powertrain doesn’t make a peep as the car wafts down the interstate in Electric mode. Its e-motor provides an instantaneous 354 pound-feet of thrust, so it helps the Benz easily keep pace with traffic without waking the straight-six. The hybrid system’s combined 510 horsepower and 553 pound-feet push this 5606-pound all-wheel-drive limo to 60 mph in a tidy 4.2 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 12.6 ticks at 112 mph.

A cushy ride and fluid body motions make the luxury mission clear, and thanks to available rear-axle steering, the S580e is surprisingly nimble. Its lone dynamic flaw is a nonlinear brake pedal that is a plague in stop-and-go traffic, an issue in the EQS as well. Given that the plug-in S-class is considerably more prestigious and stylish, with enough real-world electric range to handle daily commutes, it essentially renders Mercedes’s equivalent EV irrelevant.

Senior Editor

Eric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a journalism degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si.