Stuttgart - Mercedes is giving its luxury S-Class a makeover with several technical improvements and a hybrid version of the S 400 that will be unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show.

The car maker describes the S 400 as the first standard production hybrid drive fitted with a lithium-ion battery, making it the most economic petrol-engined luxury sedan.

Fuel consumption is listed at 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres which translates to carbon dioxide emissions of 186 grammes per kilometre.

The engine range of the new S-Class includes eight petrol and diesel engines that use up to 7 per cent less fuel than the predecessor model.

New safety features include camera and radar-based driver assistance systems. These include Adaptive Highbeam Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Speed Limit Assist and the advanced Night View Assist.

Mercedes says the new model can "see", "feel" and respond "instinctively" to detected dangers on the road, avoiding accidents or reducing their severity.

The flagship model is still the S 600 with the 380 kW/517 hp 12-cylinder engine that accelerates from zero to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds.

Among several new entertainment features is a remote control unit for rear seat passengers with access to all audio and telemetric functions. Two eight-inch displays are fitted to the rear of the front seat head restraints. A Logic7 surround sound system provides three-dimensional sound to all passengers.

In Germany the entry model, the S 350 CDI Blue Efficiency, sells for 73,006 euros (97,269 dollars). The S 400 Hybrid sells for 85,323 euros (113,514 dollars) with the S 600 priced at 155,354 euros (206,500 dollars).