And it is true the new S-Class is demonstrably better than the one it replaces, being quieter, faster, aerodynamically superior, more economical, with a more sumptuous interior and even better looking.
But if you’re looking for the kind of ground breaking technology that has made previous S-Class variants the titans of their age – things like anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, even airbags – then the new car is more a case of advancement by degrees.
From an active safety perspective the new car’s headline act is its combination of Distronic Plus with Steering Assist which is as close to being a self-driving car as is available on the road today.
With the cruise control engaged the driver can take their hands off the wheel and on the highway it will keep within its lane with gentle steering adjustments, brake when other cars move into view and politely warn the driver to start steering for themselves.
At lower speeds it will detect, warn the driver and then brake automatically for errant pedestrians or cars that cross its path at intersections.
We’ve tried it, and it works brilliantly. The system will be available as an option on the S350 Bluetec diesel when it arrives late this year, and probably be standard on the more expensive V8-powered S500 that goes on sale at the same time.
The only problem is, instead of being an S-Class innovation, this driver assist package is already available on the smaller E-Class on sale now in Australia meaning the usual Mercedes practice of technology trickling down from the S-Class is going the other way.
The main piece of unique S-Class technology, albeit one aimed at comfort rather than safety, is the so-called Magic Body Control system of improving ride quality. Twin cameras give a stereoscopic view of the road ahead and feed information to the active suspension which then moves accordingly over a bump or pothole rather than reacting to it.
Rather than being an incremental improvement over the standard suspension, MBC totally transforms the S-Class’s ride. Driven repeatedly over the type of speed hump that blights suburban roads, with the system turned off there’s a thump, a rise and fall of the body and a resulting wallow; turned on, the car barely moves as the wheels rise and fall almost imperceptibly beneath.
The system is certain to be an extra-cost option on lower priced (it’s difficult to say cheaper) versions of the S-Class. But forgetting about added-on technology for a moment and looking at the car itself, it’s difficult not to agree with Mercedes’ Vice President of program management Dr Uwe Ernstberger who baldly states “we want to offer our customers nothing less than the best car in the world.”
Providing that customer is after a large sedan costing northwards of $210,000 that envelops its occupants in absolute luxury, the S-Class delivers.
For starters, it is almost eerily quiet. Even the S350 Bluetec emits barely a whisper from its 3.0-litre V6 engine as its 190kW of power and 620Nm of torque wafts the 5.246 metre sedan (130mm less in short wheelbase guise) along the American style freeways Mercedes launched the car upon in eastern Canada.
More impressive is the lack of wind noise, a legacy of aerodynamic detail – even including the deletion of raised lettering on 17-inch sized tyres - that has resulted in a drag co-efficient of 0.24. Perhaps more importantly, the smooth bodywork has given the S-Class a flowing, sculpted look largely free of styling excesses that have marked more recent Mercedes sedans. The result is an appealing understated elegance that suits the S-Class perfectly.
The S500 adds some velvet-clad punch to the mix with its turbocharged 4.7-litre V8 providing 335kW of power and slightly more torque than the diesel. Performance is strong (Mercedes claims 0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds from the two tonne limo) and readily available at just the squeeze of the throttle, while the ride quality from the active suspension with MBC offers more control and less squishiness than the S350’s standard air suspension.
Speaking of weight, the combination of steel underpinnings and aluminium outer body panels has resulted in weight savings of up to 100kg, aiding both acceleration and reduced fuel consumption.
Even more performance will be available from the 400kW-plus S63 AMG which gets to Australia at the same time as the S350 and S500, while the long wheelbase, V12 S600 gets here mid next year at the same time as the V6 turbo S400 and the S300 Bluetec Hybrid. The S-Class coupe and convertible, and possibly an S500 plug-in hybrid will follow.
Inside the S-Class, the driver is faced with a broad sweep of dashboard that alternates in style from the almost cheesy – including the quilted pattern to its upper section, a retro-style “Mercedes-Benz” badge on the lower part of the two-spoke steering wheel, and cheese-grater grilles on the optional Burmester stereo speakers – to the decidedly high tech.
Into the latter category fall the fully projected analogue dials of the instrument panel to the massive, wide-screen information display atop the centre console. Instead of being accessed as a touch-screen, there’s a menu based dial down below with a hand rest that flips back to reveal telephone dialling controls, while further up is a sweep of buttons for ventilation options.
If it all sounds a bit too PlayStation for the more conservative buyer, then the chromed, circular air vents with their pop-out on/off dials brings things back to the twentieth century.
Fewer Australian owners will find themselves in the back seat than in markets such as China but in long wheelbase variants especially (including S350, S400, S500 and S600 in Australia) there’s plenty of leg room, plus the option of twin powered seats, squishy down-filled head rests and a mobile office fit out to go with the S-Class’s Wi-Fi hotspot internet access if and when it is available in this country.
Other options (likely to be standard on higher priced versions) will range from the whimsical such as the Air-Balance pods that waft scented air into the cabin, to the almost incomprehensibly high-tech.
Take the latest version of Mercedes Night View Assist that now recognises animals on the side of the road and highlights them on an instrument panel display. It does the same with pedestrians, but also directs a few blasts of light their way from the LED headlamps to warn them of the car’s approach.
Taken as a sum of its parts, the new S-Class may not offer the huge advances some of its predecessors gave the automotive world. But add them all up, and include the fact it cossets its occupants in a cocoon of quiet and comfort in a striking exterior with an effective array of drivetrain options, and it is difficult not to be impressed.
Courtesy of: Drive
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