As of now, the 2027 S-Class will be offered with three different powertrains in the U.S., each with standard 4Matic all-wheel drive: the standard twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six (the S500), the inline-six plug-in hybrid (the S580e), and the twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V8 (the S580). The straight-six engine doesn’t get many changes for 2027, though I don’t think it needed any; it produces the same 442 horsepower as before, but torque is up by 30 to 443 lb-ft. The new V8 makes 520 horsepower and 553 lb-ft, increases of 84 hp and 37 lb-ft from the old engine. Despite having two fewer cylinders, the PHEV is the most powerful option, with 73 more horses than last year for a total of 576 horsepower and the same 553 lb-ft of torque. Honestly, after driving all three S-Class models, they don’t feel vastly different.
All three powertrains provide ample power whilst simultaneously operating in a manner that’s so smooth, you truly have to glare at the tachometer to know they’re running at low engine speeds. Dig deeper into the long-travel throttle pedal that facilitates smooth acceleration, though, and the smooth inline-six creates a pleasant, throaty growl. Do the same in a V8-equipped S580, and the M177 Evo bellows deeply, emitting a more muscular baritone than either six.
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Acceleration figures are markedly improved over last year, but don’t vary as greatly between the different powertrain options as you may think. The PHEV posts the slowest 0-to-60-mph time of 4.4 seconds, though that’s still an improvement of 0.4 seconds over the outgoing car. The inline-six boasts a 4.3-second 0-to-60 time, around two tenths quicker than last year, but the new V8 makes the most impressive statement with a claimed time of just 3.9 seconds, or 0.4 seconds quicker than the old V8.
Despite these differences on paper, when I hopped out of a S580e PHEV and into a V8-powered S580, I expected the V8 to feel significantly more powerful, but they felt quite comparable to my inner ear. I then got into the S500 expecting it to feel like the lame duck, but it too felt remarkably similar to the other engine options. They all felt plenty powerful, and they all pulled hard to their 155-mph limiters on the autobahn, feeling planted and drama-free despite the obscenely rapid pace and quite a lot of wind noise, understandably.
Choosing the “base model” S500 does not mean forfeiting power, performance, luxury or refinement, so it’s really a choose-your-own-adventure situation: do you really want the grunt and pedigree of the V8, or would the inline-six do just fine? If you’re a greenie, or perhaps you know of some kind of tax loophole you can take advantage of for buying a hybrid, then go for the PHEV. They’re all spectacular.
