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Can a car that is often piloted by a chauffeur be green?

By Jack Ewing

Can a car that is often piloted by a chauffeur be green?

That's the question posed by the Mercedes S-Class Hybrid, the first combination gasoline-electric drive car to emerge from the Daimler (DAI) carmaking unit—or any German carmaker for that matter. Mercedes says the car will achieve 30 mpg (or 7.9 liters per 100 km), while emitting a relatively modest 190 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Plenty of smaller cars boast better numbers without hybrid technology, but that's not the point. Customers of the $100,000-plus upper luxury segment want a car that's easier on the conscience, without sacrificing any comfort.

Here's a closer look at the car, unveiled in September and on sale in Europe in June and in the U.S. the following September.