Mercedes-Benz has apparently begun shipping the new S400 BlueHybrid sedan to its US dealer network, as one of our readers spotted one and grabbed a photo of the window sticker. The S400 is Mercedes' first production hybrid vehicle and utilizes the mild hybrid system it developed in conjunction with BMW. While BMW is going whole-hog for performance with its ActiveHybrid 7 Series, Mercedes is going for more efficiency. The Stuttgart brand has opted use its 3.5-liter V6 with the hybrid system along with the first lithium ion battery used in such an application. The 120 V battery is actually nearly the same size as a traditional lead acid starter battery and takes its place in the engine compartment – meaning no trunk space is lost compared to the standard car.The S400 Hybrid gets an EPA rating of 19 mpg city and 26 mpg highway. That compares to 15/23 mpg for the V8 powered S550. The base price on the S400 starts at $87,950 and the car spotted by our reader had a bottom line of $93,775. You can configure your own S400 at the Mercedes USA site.
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