Three years on, the W223 Mercedes-Benz S580e has been updated in Malaysia with some added kit. While not exactly a facelift, the changes make the plug-in hybrid luxury sedan a much more attractive proposition, although the price has also gone up a commensurate amount.
Retailing at RM738,888 on-the-road without insurance, this still CKD locally-assembled car is now RM20,000 costlier since we last checked in 2023. As usual, you get a four-year, unlimited-mileage warranty and an eight-year/160,000 km battery warranty.
Externally, the revised spec can be identified through a set of fetching 20-inch forged and polished multi-spoke alloy wheels, finally giving the S580e the visual presence it was clamouring for. There are also new EQ Hybrid badges on the front fenders to signify the repositioning of Stuttgart’s EV and PHEV models – the latter now carrying the embarrassingly long “with EQ Hybrid Technology” suffix.
Inside, the S580e’s centre console receives crystalline-look trim with dotted lines instead of the usual piano black, which should hopefully make fingerprints less noticeable. More importantly, the front seats are finally ventilated to match the rears, addressing our main gripe with the outgoing model.
Perhaps the biggest news is that the S580e now supports DC fast charging at up to 60 kW, meaning that a full charge for the 28.6 kWh battery now takes as little as 30 minutes. As before, the car has a pure electric range of 100 km on the WLTP cycle and can be charged through AC power at up to 11 kW, so topping up to 80% charge takes around two to two and a half hours.
No change to the rest of the mechanicals, led by an M256 3.0 litre turbo straight-six, producing 367 PS from 5,500 to 6,100 rpm and 500 Nm of torque between 1,600 and 4,500 rpm. Sandwiched between it and the 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic gearbox is a 150 PS/440 Nm electric motor, contributing to a total system output of 510 PS and 750 Nm and getting it from zero to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. Airmatic air suspension still comes as standard, but rear-wheel steering has been added, albeit only at the halfway-house 4.5 degrees.
As befits a true flagship, the kit list remains long and includes Digital Light headlamps, flush pop-out door handles, soft-close doors, keyless entry, a panoramic sunroof, four-zone climate control, power-adjustable seats with memory and cushion headrests, a 12.3-inch 3D-effect instrument display, a 12.8-inch portrait OLED touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Qi wireless charging front and rear and a 15-speaker Burmester 3D surround sound system. Bizarrely, this car still does not offer a head-up display.
Meanwhile, towkays at the back luxuriate in powered executive seats with a passenger-side ottoman, replete with a massage function that extends to the calves. They also get their own 7.4-inch tablet, wireless headphones and dual 11.6-inch touchscreens as part of the MBUX High-End Rear Entertainment package, as well as powered rear and side sunshades, seat belt feeders, illuminated belt buckles and active ambient lighting to match the front. A powered boot lid with independent locking opens to a 350 litre boot.
Safety-wise, the S580e continues to come as standard with park assist, a 360-degree camera system, a built-in dash cam function and the full complement of 14 airbags, including a centre airbags and rear front and side airbags, plus belt bags and rear seat cushion airbags to prevent submarining.
You also get the Driving Assistance package, which includes autonomous emergency braking with improved cross traffic detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go (preventing collisions at up to 130 km/h) and lane centring assist for Level 2 semi-autonomous driving. Pre-Safe and Pre-Safe Impulse Side – the latter raising the car up to better protect occupants in a side impact collision – are also fitted.
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