2011 Mercedes-Benz S550 4Matic Sedan 4-Door 5.5L

Detailed item info Model OverviewMercedes-Benz is in the process of upgrading and improving its engine lineup. and the S-Class is a perfect example of the direction the company is going. It offers two eco-friendly engines -- a diesel and a hybrid -- two V8s and two V12s. The new kid on the block is the S350 BlueTEC turbodiesel. a 3. 0L V6 that makes 241 hp and 429 lb-ft of torque. The S400 hybrid introduced in 2010 continues with a mild hybrid using a 3. 5-liter V6 with 275 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque and a mild hybrid system to assist the gasoline engine for 30 percent better fuel economy than the S550. The S550 motors on with no changes to its V8 engine. which makes 382 hp and 391 lb-ft of torque. The V12-powered S600 also has few changes to its powerplant. which makes 510 hp and 612 lb-ft of torque. At the top end. the S63 AMG gets an all-new 5. 5-liter V8 with 536 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. plus stop-start technology and a 7-speed AMG transmission to keep fuel use relatively reasonable. The S65 AMG continues to utilize its V12 engine. which this year makes 17 more horsepower for a total of 621 hp. plus its 738 lb-ft of torque. Across the board. the S-Class gets some new technology upgrades. Some are safety-oriented. such as Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist. both of which can trigger automatic brake intervention. Attention Assist detects drowsy drivers and is standard on all but the hybrid. and the standard Adaptive High Beam Assist monitors approaching headlights and dims its own to avoid blinding oncoming drivers. Some of the new technology is less about safety and more about creature comforts. like the available Splitview screen. which allows the driver and passenger to watch different things. like a navigation system on the left and a movie on the right.