Another "triumph" of hybrid technology

The Mercedes S400.   About 300hp, 19 in the city and 25 on the highway, and 7.2 seconds from 0 to 60.  Only $91,000 or so plus options, delivery, and tax.  Very similar numbers to the Chevrolet Traverse, available from $29000, but if we really want to be fair, we ought to compare to it to the Camaro, or perhaps the Mustang, don't you think?    Something in me thinks that for the price, the vehicle ought to be head and shoulders over other luxury cars, not comparable with a Taurus, Malibu, or Impala.

To put it mildly, there seems to be a competition between Mercedes and Lexus for "most ineffective use of hybrid technology in enhancing vehicle performance," though I'd have to concede that the Malibu and Tahoe hybrids are also strong contenders.  It's like the government is paying people to take this technology whether it makes sense or not.

Which is, of course, exactly the case.