Over in the United States, both Mercedes-Benz and BMW have two plug-in hybrid full-size luxury sedans with six-cylinder engines hiding underhood. The vehicles in question have been recently tested by Sam CarLegion, and not surprising in the least, said comparison review also included a drag race.
Before going any further, let's talk numbers. The Munich-based automaker claims 483 horsepower and 516 pound-feet (700 Nm) for the 750e xDrive Sedan, which is advertised with a zero to 60 miles per hour time of 4.6 seconds. In metric, that would be around 4.8 seconds to 100 kilometers per hour.
The beating heart of the 750e is BMW's current-gen sixer, namely the B58 single-turbo I6 on which the M-specific S58 engine is based. It goes without saying that BMW's crankshaft numbers are somewhat misleading, for the Bavarian manufacturer sandbags like there's no tomorrow.
Equipped with ZF's well-known 8HP eight-speed automatic, the Bimmer is rocking a 14.4-kWh battery that brings the curb weight to 5,331 pounds or 2,418 kilograms. Over at Merc, the S 580e 4MATIC Sedan is a little chubbier at 5,606 pounds (2,542 kilograms). Not exactly a coincidence, it's also equipped with a larger battery (22.7 kWh).
Previously all-in on V6s, the three-pointed star of Stuttgart followed in the footsteps of BMW with an inline-six engine that features a similar displacement to the aforementioned B58. Officially dubbed M256, the 3.0-liter unit isn't the first straight-six motor from the folks at Mercedes-Benz. Remember the M180 series that was produced from 1951 through 1985? Then again, BMW started making inline-six engines in 1917, initially for aircraft rather than motor vehicles.
Photo: Sam CarLegion on YouTube
Merc quotes 510 horsepower and 553 pound-feet (691 Nm), with most of those output figures reaching all four wheels via the German automaker's 9G-Tronic automatic rather than the AMG-specific SPEEDSHIFT MCT-9G transmission. Mercedes isn't known for sandbagging its power and torque figures, and BMW's knack for launch control and transmission calibration is – without a doubt – best in the biz.
Given said information, are you willing to bet on the 7 Series or the S-Class in a quarter-mile drag race? As could be expected, the BMW proved way more willing off the line and kept its distance from the Mercedes all the way to the finish line. Sam CarLegion didn't provide any quarter-mile times and speeds for these vehicles, but it's easy to see that the gap was a little bigger than a car's length.
The subsequent 100-kph to 0-kph braking test also concluded in favor of the Bavarian luxobarge, with the 750e braking in a shorter distance from 100 kilometers per hour (62 miles per hour) to a complete stop. Sam further notes that BMW's rear-wheel steering is that much superior, but overall, he and his crew prefer the more imposing S 580e.
From a stylistic perspective, it's easy to understand why this generation of the S-Class has the 7er bested in the eyes of many enthusiasts and non-car people. BMW exterior styling continues its downward spiral with the redesigned 1 Series, a compact hatchback that looks like the Wish version of the Kia Ceed. The soon-to-be-revealed 2025 BMW X3 also polarizes opinion with its XM-inspired kidney grille that combines vertical and diagonal lines.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News