The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class – Launched

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Aspiration – a goal, a dream, an ambition to achieve or acquire. Ask any business leader today and they will tell you it is not possible for you to get to where you want to go before having a clear, definitive target in mind. And for many, having ambitious aspirations often includes  an equally worthy vehicle that conveys the vision and accomplishment of the leader. The Mercedes-Benz S-class is often part of such picture of success and 2 days ago, Mercedes-Benz Malaysia has given every towkeh something to aspire for, some who’re probably checking with their accountants on how soon they can place a booking for the car.

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The latest incarnation of the S-class (code named W222) is focused on three aspects; the drive, the technology and the luxury; all pursued in a “best or nothing” gambit by Mercedes-Benz. Let’s look at what we can expect from each engineering priority:-

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Intelligent Drive

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The new S-class is made available here in 3 guises:- The S 400 Hybrid (CKD from Pekan), The S 500 and the S 63 AMG (both CBU).  Under the front bonnet, the S 400 Hybrid has a 3.5litre V6 petrol engine capable of providing 306hp @ 6,500rpm with 370Nm torque @ 3,700-5,250rpm paired with an electric motor that supplies an additional 250Nm of torque. It returns a combined FC of 6.3litres per 100km and takes 6.8 seconds to complete a century sprint.

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The S 500 meanwhile has a 4.6litre V8 petrol engine serving 455hp @ 5,250rpm with 700Nm of torque from 1,800 – 3,500rpm. Such power allows it to hit 100kph from standstill in 4.8 seconds while at the same time can return a combined FC of 8.6litres per 100km.

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If the S 500 is still isn’t fast enough for you, then the S 63 AMG is your best answer for speed. With a 5.5litre V8 Microprocessor-controlled direct injection, biturbo-charging petrol engine tuned to an output of 585hp @ 5,500rpm with a monstrous 900Nm of torque @ 2,250 – 3,750rpm, this performance limo glues the bosses to their seats from 0-100kph in 4.4 seconds. The combined fuel consumption … heck, who looks at fuel consumption when buying an AMG anyway? But if you are environmentally conscious, the AMG has a combined CO2 emission from 237g/km (the S 500 is rated at 199g/km while the Hybrid is 147g/km)

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All S-classes share the same electronically limited 250kph top speed.

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For its suspension, the S-class is the first vehicle in the world to be able to detect bumps on the road ahead and changes the dampening accordingly. The Road Surface Scan uses a stereo camera to check for unevenness then sends the information to Magic Body Roll. To put it into a term more easily understood by most of us, imagine this; Malaysian roads aren’t exactly the finest examples you’d find in the world and each time when we go through a crack or a bump, the impact reverberates into the cabin. If the suspensions are too soft, you might find the car wallowing too much like a boat. Too hard and it becomes bone jarring. Magic Body Roll uses the twin cameras mounted on the front windscreen to scan the road surface ahead of it and since Mercedes-Benz already has Adaptive Damping System ADS PLUS and the full air suspension system AIRMATIC which changes the characteristics of the suspension, all that needs to be done is to tweak it to work with a system that automatically does all the adjustments for you, all done in a fraction of a second. The final result is a ride that’s nothing short of sorcery. Magic indeed.

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The Technology

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Being the flagship, the new S-class benefits as the recipient of the latest automotive technology. Design-wise, the coefficient drag of the new S is 0.24, making it the second most ‘slippery in the wind’ car next to the CLA. The front grille is now larger, more upright and distinctly 3-dimensional. Character lines at the sides denotes a powerful and stately presence, making it unmistakably, an S-class. At the rear, horizontal lines from the boot lid to the bumper makes the S-class look wider while the rounded upper pane rear windscreen which cuts into the C-pillars creates a coupe-like impression.

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The S-class is the first car in the world to feature not a single bulb in it. LED is the way forward and the Mercedes-Benz uses this technology extensively in the S-class. Like 500 LEDs extensive where up to 56 of them can be found in each headlamps, 35 LEDs for each tail lamp and about 300 of them can be found inside the cabin.

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The S-class features Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus which selectively adjusts the front light beam to provide optimum illumination to the driver without dazzling other road users and Night View Assist Plus that makes use of an infrared camera that detects and displays anything warm, ranging from cats to probably missiles.

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The Luxury

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As a car meant for leaders and directors, the S-class seek to redefine the meaning of luxury by offering an interior design and features aimed at stimulate all your 5 senses.Wood trim is of course the default choice of business owners and the S-class has a lot of it, particularly in the dashboard and centre console area. It is contrasted with various metallised surfaces with pearl-effect finishes in three different shades placed at various locations in the cabin to accentuate the outstanding quality of the car.

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An interesting fact about the S-class owner is that in places like Europe and North America, it is the owner him/herself who’s often at the helm; only in Asia is the S-class predominantly chauffeur-driven. This presented Mercedes-Benz a conundrum of sorts; build a car emphasizing the rear passengers or the front? And true to German practicality, how about both? The driver’s seat is as much a fun place to be in as the rear seats. With two high-resolution TFT color displays in 8:3 format with a screen diagonal of 30.7cm, the driver can access functions such as infotainment and comfort functions as well as pertinent driving information.

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Other features include a touch-sensitive keypad and an extended favorites function with 12 freely selectable memory places. Most of the controls are done via the rotary push button with direct access keys in the centre console for the most important functions and a toolbar for the driving assistance systems. The S-class also comes with voice entry using LINGUATRONIC which allows complete addresses to be spoken in one go. Even audio and telephone systems function commands can be voice-controlled.

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In our weather, air conditioning is a luxury everyone must have and the S-class does it a few light years better. A new feature called the AIR BALANCE package not only provides ionisation and air conditioning filtration, it even has a perfuming system which allows passengers to change the interior smell in a non-permanent, discreet and mild manner. The system can be turned off and the fragrance will dissipate rapidly.

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You’d also be able to get a massage on the go. In fact, it’s the world’s first vehicle to have an ENERGIZING massage function based on the hot-stone principle. Using 14 separately actuated air cushions in the backrest as well as an integrated warming function, passengers can choose up to 6 massage programs, 2 of them using the warming function. This feature is available on all 4 seats.

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Say what we want about the S-class, it’s still best enjoyed from the rear and in the standard-wheelbase S-class, two rear seat variants (static bench seat or individual seats with 37-degree adjustment) can be found. The adjustment kinematics have been changed in the luxury and reclining seat variants. Unlike the conventional trailing backrest design, the backrest is adjusted separately so that the legroom and seat reference point remain unchanged. The cushion can be separately adjusted for angle and horizontal position.

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The maximum backrest angle of the Executive seat (reclining seat) behind  the front passenger seat in the long wheelbase-model is increased from 37 to 43.5 degrees, giving it the largest backrest inclination in the luxury segment. The reclining seat features a calf support which is freely adjustable for length and angle. In combination with the heel rest on the folding chauffeur seat at the front and an additional comfort cushion, this allows a reclined position that sets new standards in the automotive sector with respect to sleeping and resting comfort

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If the “First-Class rear suite“ is specified (with rear centre console), the front console on the transmission tunnel is visually continued to the rear. It is equipped with innovative thermo-cup holders which use Peltier technology to cool or warm drinks over a longer period of time. Like an aircraft seat, the centre console is available with two tables which can be easily folded in or out using one hand.

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The sound system is nothing short of a concert hall on wheels. As a standard, the Frontbass system developed by Mercedes-Benz‑and used for the first time in a saloon car is a feature common to all the audio systems: the woofers are housed in the firewall, and use the almost 40-litre space in the cross-member and side member as a resonance chamber. Conventional woofers in the doors are therefore unnecessary. The mid-range speakers in the doors are relocated upwards. This improves the soundscape and allows additional stowage space in the doors. If you want more aural stimuli,  the Burmester^® Surround Sound system and the Burmester^® High-End 3D‑Surround Sound system are available as an option.

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Oh, and like an aircraft, passengers can view the new navitainment functions which includes an animated compass, the “Driveshow” and the display of Google Maps on the head unit and in the rear.

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Safety

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With such important personnel onboard, safety is of the highest priority and the S-class comes with a slew of active and passive safety features;-

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• PRE-SAFE^® Brake can also detect pedestrians and initiate autonomous braking to avoid a collision at speeds up to 50 km/h
• PRE-SAFE^® PLUS can recognise an imminent rear-end collision and warn the following traffic by activating the rear hazard warning lights at a high frequency. If the danger of a collision persists, the system can also firmly apply the stationary vehicle’s brakes and thus minimise the risk of whiplash injuries by reducing the forward jolt caused by the impact. This can additionally reduce the risk of secondary accidents. Immediately before impact, the PRE-SAFE^® anticipatory occupant protection measures, especially the reversible belt tensioners, are deployed.
• With PRE-SAFE^® Impulse, the driver and front passenger are pulled away from the direction of impact by their seat belts at an early phase of the crash before the resulting occupant deceleration sets in. This can substantially reduce the risk and severity of injuries in a frontal collision
• illuminated seat belt buckle extender, an electric motor extends and retracts the belt buckle automatically. In this way, any belt slack in the area of the pelvis and thorax can be reduced so that passengers are secured more firmly in both the sideways and the lengthways direction.
• The beltbag is an inflatable seat-belt strap that is able to reduce the risk of injury to passengers in the rear in a head-on collision by lessening the strain placed on the ribcage.
• The optional Executive seat is equipped with a cushionbag under the seat cushion upholstery as standard. When the seat is reclined, it prevents the occupant from sliding beneath the seat belt (so-called submarining) in an accident. This has enabled Mercedes-Benz to design a comfortable reclining seat which provides a higher level of accident safety than a seat with a trailing backrest.
• DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot takes the burden off the driver when it comes to lane guidance and is also able to follow vehicles in traffic tailbacks semi-autonomously.
• Brake Assist system BAS PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist can help to avoid rear-end collisions and even collisions with crossing traffic.
• Active Lane Keeping Assist can detect oncoming traffic and, when the adjacent lane is not clear, reduce the risk of the vehicle leaving its lane unintentionally by applying the brakes on one side.
• Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus allows the high-beam headlamps to be kept on permanently without dazzling traffic by masking out other vehicles in the beams’ cone of light.
• Night View Assist Plus was further improved and supplemented by a thermal imaging camera. Night View Assist Plus can alert the driver to the potential danger posed by pedestrians or animals in unlit areas in front of the vehicle by automatically switching from the speedometer to a crystal-clear night view image and highlighting the sources of danger. A spotlight function is furthermore able to flash any pedestrians detected ahead. This attracts the driver’s attention to the source of the danger at the same time as warning the person on the side of the road.
• ATTENTION ASSIST can warn of inattentiveness and drowsiness in an extended speed range and notify drivers of their current state of fatigue and the driving time since the last break, offers an adjustable sensitivity setting and, if a warning is emitted, indicates nearby service areas in the COMAND navigation system

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Ownership

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The new S-class is yours for the following prices:-

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S 400 Hybrid – RM587,888 excluding insurance

S 500 L – RM1.08 million (indicative price)

S 63 AMG – RM1.6 million (indicative price)

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Do note that the prices above are not finalised and it is best that you consult your local Mercedes-Benz dealer for more details.

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