12 New Luxury Sedans That Are Surprisingly Fuel Efficient

While fuel efficiency wasn't always a strong point in early luxury sedans, rising fuel costs, environmental concerns, and technological advancements have forced most automakers to shift their perspective. These days, most offer a surprising blend of elegance and environmental responsibility.

Modern luxury sedans still feature comfortable cabins, a smooth ride, plush amenities, high-performance powertrains, and innovative technology. They are ideal for families or even professionals seeking a refined experience. In addition, some employ hybrid and electric powertrains to offer significant fuel economy improvements while retaining the luxurious experience. Hybridized versions retain the ICE powertrain but merge it with electric motors for enhanced efficiency. On the other hand, electric models boast the best fuel economy since they run solely on electricity.

Below, we explore the latest luxury sedans with surprising fuel efficiency figures from automakers like Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Tesla. We'll learn about their specific features and fuel economy figures, proving that efficiency and luxury can go hand in hand.

The Flying Spur is Bentley's top luxury sedan, boasting a choice of three potent powertrains and exquisite craftsmanship. For the 2024 model year, Bentley offers six Flying Spur trims: base, A, Azure, S, Spur Speed, and Mulliner. The base models have two engine options: a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 or a 2.9-liter V6 hybrid. These powertrains pair with an eight-speed automatic transmission, powering all four wheels. The V8 powertrain produces 542 hp and 568 lb-ft of torque, enabling the Flying Spur to sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and reach a 198-mph top speed.

In addition to its impressive performance, the V8-powered models have a fuel economy rating of 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway, and 17 mpg combined. The hybrid powertrain is closely matched with the V8 in terms of performance, producing a combined 536 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. This results in a 0 to 60 mph run of 4.1 seconds and a lower top speed of 177 mph. Despite being slightly less powerful than the V8, the hybrid V6 boasts the best fuel economy of 19 mpg combined on gas only and 46 MPGe combined with the hybrid. The hybrid also allows Flying Spur drivers to cruise up to 87 mph on electric power.

Bentley also offers a more powerful 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged W12 engine in the Flying Spur Speed, producing 626 hp and 900 lb-ft of torque. With this powertrain, the Flying Spur can dash from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and reach a 207-mph top speed. The W12 is also the least efficient powertrain, managing a rating of 12 mpg city, 19 mpg highway, and 15 mpg combined.

The current Mercedes-Benz S Class lineup represents the pinnacle of elegance for the company, boasting a luxurious interior and mighty powertrains. The car has a starting price of $117,300 and three trims: S500, S580e, and S580. Despite having different powertrains, these trims use a nine-speed automatic transmission, powering all four wheels. The base S500 uses a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 mild hybrid powertrain with 442 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque. While it's less powerful than Bentley's Flying Spur offerings, the inline-6 sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds. This powertrain also promises better fuel economy ratings of 21 mpg city, 31 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined.

In the S580e, Mercedes-Benz pairs the base inline-6 with an electric motor, helping the S Class produce a combined 503 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. The S580e is heavier than the base S500, explaining the slightly slower 0 to 60 mph sprint of 4.8 seconds. The hybrid setup in the S580e makes it the most efficient S Class, netting a fuel economy rating of 23 mpg combined on gasoline and 49 MPGe combined on hybrid power.

At the top of the lineup sits the S580 with a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 producing 496 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. It's less powerful than the plug-in hybrid S580e, but it's the fastest, boasting a 0 to 60 mph time of 4.3 seconds. Compared to the Bentley Flying Spur, the S580 has better fuel economy ratings of 18 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined.

The new Porsche Panamera lineup promises buyers a highly capable luxury sports sedan, starting at $102,800. Porsche offers five trims: base, 4, 4 E-Hybrid, 4S E-Hybrid, and Turbo E-Hybrid. The hybrid Panamera models boast the biggest improvements to performance and fuel economy. The 4 and 4S E-Hybrid lineup uses a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 powertrain and electric motors. In the 4 E-Hybrid, that powertrain produces a combined 463 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque, enabling it to dash from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and reach a top track speed of 174 mph.

Despite being the least powerful Panamera hybrid, the 4 E-Hybrid has the best fuel economy rating of 22 mpg combined on gasoline and 52 MPGe combined of hybrid power. The 4S E-Hybrid has more performance, producing 536 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque combined, which lets it scamper from 0 to 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and reach a top track speed of 180 mph. The 4S E-Hybrid also offers impressive fuel economy ratings of 22 mpg combined on gasoline and 50 MPGe combined on hybrid power.

At the top of the Panamera lineup sits the Turbo E-Hybrid with a hybridized 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 producing 670 hp and 686 lb-ft of torque. The powertrain enables the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid to dash from 0 to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds and reach a top track speed of 196 mph. Despite having a V8 powertrain, the hybrid setup enables the Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid to boast a fuel economy of 19 mpg combined on gasoline and 48 MPGe combined on hybrid power.

The Volvo S90 Recharge is a mid-size luxury sedan that rivals the Genesis Electrified G80, Audi A6, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and BMW 5-Series. For the 2024 model year, the S90 Recharge has a starting price of $65,650 and two trims: Plus and Ultimate. Under the hood of both models is a 2.0 liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which pairs with an electric motor to produce 455 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque. The powertrain pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission, powering all four wheels. This helps the S90 Recharge dash from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds.

Volvo's hybrid powertrain also enables the S90 Recharge to drive up to 56 miles on electric power. The hybrid powertrain helps boost the fuel economy to 30 mpg combined on gasoline and 66 MPGe combined on hybrid power. Unlike most hybrid luxury sedans, the S90 Recharge boasts one-pedal driving, allowing the driver to use the accelerator for speeding up and braking.

The Porsche Taycan is the brand's first EV, promising the perfect blend of everyday usability and performance. Porsche offers three Taycan body styles: sedan, sport turismo, and cross turismo. The sedan pioneered the Taycan lineup, and it currently has five trims: Taycan, 4S, GTS, Turbo, and Turbo S. The base variant has a $90,900 starting price and a single electric motor powering the rear wheels. With this motor, the Taycan produces 321 hp with the Performance Battery and 375 hp with the Performance Battery Plus.

In addition, Porsche offers Overboost Power across the Taycan lineup. This helps up the overall output in the base version to 402 hp (Performance Battery) or 469 hp (Performance Battery Plus). With the Performance Battery, the Taycan has a range of 208 miles and an EPA rating of 79 MPGe city, 88 MPGe highway, and 83 MPGe combined. The Performance Battery Plus ups its range to 242 miles, but the EPA fuel economy rating decreases to 78 MPGe city, 88 MPGe highway, and 82 MPGe combined.

The e-tron GT was Audi's first EV, promising buyers high performance and craftsmanship. For the 2024 model year, the e-tron GT has a $106,500 starting price and a dual motor powertrain. Audi pairs the dual motors with a 93.4 kWh battery pack, helping the e-tron GT produce 523 hp with Boost engaged. This translates to a quick 0 to 60 mph sprint of 3.9 seconds and a 152 mph electronically limited top speed.

In addition, Audi also offers a more powerful $147,100 RS e-tron GT. Like the base e-tron GT, the RS e-tron GT uses a dual motor powertrain and a 93.4 kWh battery pack. However, it produces 637 hp with Boost engaged, allowing it to dash from 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds and reach a 155 mph electronically limited top speed. Despite the performance difference between the two variants, they both have a range of 249 miles on a full charge and an EPA fuel economy rating of 85 MPGe city, highway, and combined.

The i7 is BMW's first-ever electric 7 Series sedan, offering buyers a luxury electric sedan with sustainable innovations and a potent electric powertrain. The 2024 BMW i7, which we liked in our first drive, has a $105,700 starting price and three trims: eDrive50, xDrive60, and M70. The base i7 eDrive50 has a high-performance electric motor driving the rear wheels. This helps it produce 449 hp and 549 lb-ft of torque, helping it scamper from 0 to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds and reach a limited top speed of 130 mph.

The eDrive50 is the lightest of the three i7 models, weighing 5,917 pounds. The powertrain and lower weight help make it the most efficient of the three, managing a total range of 321 miles and an EPA rating of 87 MPGe city, 95 MPGe highway, and 90 MPGe combined. The i7 xDrive60 is a more powerful sedan thanks to an additional high-performance motor, which ups the overall performance to 536 hp and 549 lb-ft of torque. This boosts its 0 to 60 mph run to 4.5 seconds, but the top speed remains electronically capped at 130 mph. Despite being slightly heavier than the base i7, the xDrive60 has a similar EPA rating of 87 MPGe city, 93 MPGe highway, and 90 MPGe combined.

The M-badged i7 M70 is the most powerful variant, boasting 650 hp and 749 lb-ft of torque from dual high-performance motors. It has a quicker 0 to 60 mph run of 3.5 seconds but the same electronically limited top speed of 130 mph. The i7 M70 has the lowest EPA fuel economy rating of 74 MPGe city, 80 MPGe highway, and 77 MPGe combined.

The Mercedes-Benz EQ lineup is consistently growing, featuring models like the EQB, EQE, and EQS. The Mercedes-Benz EQE is a luxury electric sedan with a $74,900 starting price and three trims: 350+, 350 4MATIC, and 500 4MATIC. All trims have Premium, Exclusive, and Pinnacle options, offering more luxurious features and technology. The base EQE 350+ features a single electric motor powering the rear wheels. Mercedes uses a 90.6 kWh battery pack to power the motor. This results in 288 hp and 417 lb-ft of torque, helping the base EQE sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds.

The EQE 350+ is the most efficient sedan in the lineup, offering a total range of 298 miles and an EPA rating of 98 MPGe city, 94 MPGe highway, and 96 MPGe combined. The remaining two EQE models share the battery pack with the base model but have an additional motor on the front axle. This allows the EQE 350 4Matic to produce 288 hp and 564 lb-ft of torque. The EQE 500 4MATIC has the highest performance of 402 hp and 633 lb-ft of torque.

Genesis introduced its first EV, the Electrified G80, in 2021 at Auto Shanghai. This version helped usher the brand into the electrification era, paving the way for more models like the Electrified GV70. For the 2024 model year, the Electrified G80 has a $74,375 starting price. Genesis powers it with two electric motors, giving it a combined 365 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque. These motors use an 87.2 kWh battery to power the front and rear wheels. This enables the Electrified G80 to dash from 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.

Genesis also equips the Electrified G80 with a Disconnector Actuator System (DAS), which allows the driver to connect or disconnect the drive shaft and motor, depending on the driving mode. With this, the Electrified G80 can switch between AWD and RWD, helping increase efficiency by minimizing unnecessary power loss.

These technologies help make the Electrified G80 the most efficient luxury sedan in Genesis' lineup, boasting 105 MPGe city, 89 MPGe highway, and 97 MPGe combined. In addition, the Electrified G80 has a total range of 282 miles on a full charge. That's slightly less than the i5, but the Electrified G80 has rapid charging technology, enabling the battery to juice up from 10 to 80% in 22 minutes.

The BMW i5 is all new for the 2024 model year, promising buyers a more dynamic electric sedan with new innovations and tech. BMW is offering three i5 trims: eDrive40, xDrive40, and M60. The base variant, the i5 eDrive40, has a $66,800 starting price and a single electric motor powering the rear wheels. The motor helps it produce 335 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

While it's the least powerful of the three trims, the i5 eDrive40 can sprint from 0 to 0 mph in 5.7 seconds and reach a 120-mph limited top speed. It's also the most efficient model in the lineup, boasting a total range of 295 miles and an EPA fuel economy rating of 104 MPGe city, 105 MPGe highway, and 105 MPGe combined. The i5 xDrive40 adds a second motor to the front axle, giving it all-wheel drive and upping its performance to 389 hp and 435 lb-ft of torque. This performance boost helps the i5 xDrive40 sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds and reach a 130 mph limited top speed.

The i5 M60 trim is the most powerful version, boasting a dual-motor powertrain with 593 hp and 586 lb-ft of torque. This enables it to dash from 0 to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and reach a 130-mph top speed. Unlike the base i5, the M60 trim has 256 miles of total range and an EPA fuel economy rating of 90 MPGe city, 93 MPGe highway, and 91 MPGe combined.

The 2024 Tesla Model S is a luxury sedan with two powertrains: a dual motor and a tri-motor. The base dual motor Model S has a $72,990 starting price and 670 hp peak. Its powertrain enables it to dash from 0 to 60 mph in 3.1 seconds. While the base Model S is reasonably powerful, the tri-motor Model S Plaid boasts 1,020 hp and a quick 0 to 60 mph run of 1.99 seconds. Both models are reasonably efficient, but the base variant offers the best fuel economy rating of 127 MPGe city, 116 MPGe highway, and 122 MPGe combined.

The Model S Plaid also has a good fuel economy rating of 111 MPGe city, 103 MPGe highway, and 107 MPGe combined with the 19-inch wheels. Opting for the more stylish 21-inch wheels decreases the rating to 100 MPGe city, 91 MPGe highway, and 96 MPGe combined. Tesla also offers impressive range across its lineup, with the dual motor Model S offering up to 402 miles and the Plaid offering 359 miles (19-inch wheels) or 320 miles (21-inch wheels) on a full charge.

In our review, we found the 2024 Lucid Air to be a highly capable luxury sedan, rivaling the Tesla Model X and Mercedes-Benz EQS Sedan. Lucid's 2024 Air lineup has a $69,900 starting price and four trims: Pure, Touring, Grand Touring, and Sapphire. The base model has a single electric motor powering the rear axle. This version boasts 430 hp, enough to propel it from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and travel up to 419 miles on a full charge.

Despite being the least powerful model, the Air Pure has the best EPA fuel economy rating of 140 MPGe city, 134 MPGe highway, and 137 MPGe combined. However, the remaining Air trims are also highly capable, offering better range and economy than their high-dollar rivals. The $109,900 Air Grand Touring model boasts the longest range of 516 miles thanks to its extended-range battery. This model has a dual motor powertrain, producing 819 hp and enabling it to scamper from 0 to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds.

The Sapphire is the most powerful, most expensive, and fastest Lucid Air model. It has a $249,000 starting price, a tri-motor powertrain, and an extended-range battery. This powertrain produces 1,234 hp, allowing it to rocket from 0 to 60 mph in 1.89 seconds. In addition to its ludicrous performance, the Lucid Air Sapphire has a total range of 427 miles and an EPA fuel economy rating of 108 MPGe city, 101 MPGe highway, and 105 MPGe combined.