Mercedes-Benz model names used to tell you the engine size — a 560 SEL had a 5.6-litre V8. Today the numbers are a position in the range rather than a displacement. In the current W223 S-Class, the S 500 uses a 3.0-litre inline-six, the S 580 a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8, the S 580e is a plug-in hybrid, the AMG S 63 E Performance is a high-performance V8 hybrid, and the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 keeps a 6.0-litre V12. Here is what each one is, and what it means from the back seat.

The current range at a glance

Model Engine Character
S 500 4MATIC 3.0L turbo inline-six + 48V mild hybrid Smooth, efficient, plenty of power
S 580 4MATIC 4.0L twin-turbo V8 + 48V mild hybrid The classic S-Class; effortless
S 580e 4MATIC 3.0L inline-six plug-in hybrid Silent electric running in town
AMG S 63 E Performance 4.0L twin-turbo V8 plug-in hybrid Sports-car performance
Maybach S 580 / S 680 V8 / 6.0L twin-turbo V12 Ultimate refinement

What “EQ Boost” means

Every current S-Class has a 48-volt electrical system with an integrated starter-generator between the engine and gearbox. It restarts the engine almost imperceptibly after the auto stop-start system switches it off at traffic lights, adds a short burst of electric torque when pulling away, and recovers energy when slowing down. For passengers, the main benefit is smoothness — the engine stops and starts without the shudder of older stop-start systems. Read more in our 48-volt mild-hybrid explainer.

S 500: the inline-six

An inline-six is naturally balanced, which is why Mercedes returned to the layout after years of V6s. The turbocharged 3.0-litre in the S 500 produces well over 400 horsepower with the electric boost, which is more than enough for a large sedan. It is quieter than many V8s were a decade ago.

S 580: the V8

The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 is the traditional heart of the S-Class. Its advantage is not speed but effort: at highway speeds it turns slowly and almost silently, and it has so much torque that the car rarely needs to downshift. This is the version many chauffeured fleets prefer, and it is what our S-Class specification lists.

S 580e: the plug-in hybrid

The S 580e pairs the inline-six with a large electric motor and a sizable battery. On a charge it can cover many city trips on electricity alone — completely silent and emission-free in the car — and then run as an efficient hybrid on longer journeys. Mercedes also allows a small amount of fast charging on this model.

AMG S 63 E Performance

The AMG version combines a twin-turbo V8 with an electric motor on the rear axle for a combined output in the high hundreds of horsepower. It is spectacularly fast, but its firmer tuning makes it less relevant to chauffeured travel.

Maybach V12

The Mercedes-Maybach S 680 keeps Mercedes’ 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12, the last V12 in its passenger-car range. Twelve cylinders firing in quick succession produce extremely smooth power delivery. For more, see V8 vs V12 vs electric.

A short history of S-Class engines

  • 1968–1980: big V8s, culminating in the 6.9-litre of the W116 450 SEL 6.9.
  • 1978–1990s: turbodiesels such as the 300 SD, popular in North America.
  • 1991: the first Mercedes V12, in the W140 600 SEL.
  • 2009: the first S-Class hybrid, the S 400 Hybrid.
  • 2014: the first plug-in hybrid S-Class, the S 500 Plug-in Hybrid (S 550e in the U.S.).
  • 2020s: 48-volt mild hybrids across the range, with an all-electric sibling in the Mercedes-Benz EQS.