Benz's hybrid flagship to founder in US?

US Mercedes-Benz dealers are heading for a high-noon showdown with Daimler officials over plans to make the next S-Class limousine an all-hybrid car.

Even though the biggest Benz is not due for two more years, the move to hybrid-drive technology is being driven by demands for lower CO2, yet there are already concerns that the new car won't be enough for the petrol-obsessed Americans.

Benz already has one Hybrid S-Class variant in the current model range, based around a ground-breaking Lithium-Ion battery pack and a relatively simple, disc-shaped electric motor that slides in between the back of the engine and the front of the gearbox.

A source at Mercedes insists that a development of this system is being designed to fit both V6 and V8 engines for the all-new flagship. Our source also suggests that, while the S-Class would technically go all-Hybrid, the Maybach badge would be downgraded from a stand-alone brand to a range-topping badge for a big-displacement, long-wheelbase, petrol-powered S-Class, probably a turbo-charged V12.

"At the moment, the plan is to go all-Hybrid for the S-Class," the source admitted.

"There's some discussion around that plan at the moment, because some people don't have the full appreciation for how good they will be yet," he admitted.

It is understood that a group of dealers are concerned that Hybrids aren't considered strong enough straight-line performers, even though Mercedes-Benz and BMW have been working on performance hybrids, such as the system which made its debut in last year's X6 Hybrid.

While the current S-Class Hybrid (the S400H) has been roundly criticized for its rubbery brake feel, Benz sources have pleaded for more time before the Hybrid concept is judged.

"That [the S400H] was the first one for us and there are things we're changing.

"It won't have that braking system, for example. It will take the regeneration braking system from the electric SLS, which you'll see soon.

"With that system, there will be hydraulic brakes and the driver can choose three levels of regeneration out of the brakes.

"That means it won't just retard the car automatically to drive the biggest charge into the battery. You'll be able to choose whether to wash off speed lightly, to charge heavily or something in between, depending on how you want it to feel."

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