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| We found the new S-class to be fast, reasonably frugal, comfortable and quiet. |
The new Mercedes-Benz S-class
is quite possibly the most advanced road car ever. The big four-door
sedan is coming to North American showrooms in September. It is a
rolling technology fortress, the goal being to place it at the top of
the luxury car ranks, ahead of traditional rivals such as the Audi A8, BMW 7-series, Jaguar XJ and Lexus LS, not to mention newer pretenders like the Porsche Panamera.
Mercedes-Benz chairman Dieter Zetsche acknowledges this S-class
has a vastly different mission from the one it replaces. It will be
produced in no fewer than six different variants, including initial
short- and long-wheelbase models and an extra-long-wheelbase model in
the next year. This new variant, we're told, will offer a limousine-like
experience to match the Bentley Mulsanne and Rolls-Royce Ghost, and is planned as the basis for a plush Pullman return, to replace the discontinued Maybach. There will also be a two-door coupe and a cabriolet.
The
exterior styling has greater sculpture to the body, and evolves the
appearance without straying too far from the outgoing model. A more
prominent grille and larger, more angular headlights provide a stately
appearance, and there's a prominent swage line meant to add greater
intrigue to the flanks. There is little change in external dimensions
over the old S-class in the long-wheelbase model underpinning North
American sales, the new car being just 0.8 inch longer, 1.1 inches wider
and 0.4 inch higher than before.
The S-class's aerodynamics are
class leading. Official figures point to just a 0.24 coefficient of drag
with the S550 driven here. Further refinements designed to provide the
frugal European-market S300 BlueTec hybrid an even more efficient 0.23
include adjustable cooling-system louvers, extensive underbody paneling
and detailed work to the wheel houses.
This is the first
series-production road car to eschew conventional light bulbs for LEDs.
The headlights use up to 56 LEDs, with the taillights receiving 35 LEDs.
To minimize glare, the intensity of the rear lamps is reduced at night
and while the car is stationary at traffic lights.
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| The so-called "First-Class" rear seat setup gets Maybach-degrees of adjustablilty, fold-out tables and auto-tilting screens. |
The S-class's
hood, roof, doors and trunklid are now aluminum, and the internal
structure uses a special bonding process combining aluminum with
hot-formed, multi-gauge high-strength steel and some lightweight plastic
components. The pillars are also filled with a foam material to make
them significantly stiffer than before. Despite these measures, though,
the S550 has actually gained 11 pounds, hitting the scales at a claimed
4,277 pounds. Offsetting the slight increase in weight is a dramatic
increase in rigidity and, thus, a reduction in vibration and an even
smoother ride.
Mercedes-Benz has decided to launch its new luxury
sedan in the U.S. with just one engine: a carryover twin-turbocharged
gasoline V8 producing 449 hp at 5,250 rpm, or 20 hp more than the old
S550. Torque remains at 516 lb-ft at 1,800 rpm, and drive continues to
be sent to the rear wheels through Mercedes' 7G-Tronic seven-speed
automatic gearbox. A four-wheel-drive 4Matic option will be offered
starting in November.
Other markets get a range of different
engines. Among them is a 3.0-liter V6 diesel with 254 hp in the S350
BlueTec, a 2.1-liter, four-cylinder diesel with 204 hp in combination
with a 27 hp electric motor for a total output of 228 hp in the S300
BlueTec hybrid. Also available outside North America is the S400 hybrid.
It uses a carryover gasoline-electric powertrain with a 302-hp,
naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V6 and 27-hp electric motor.
More engines are planned, including a gas-electric plug-in hybrid to rival the system Porsche recently introduced in the facelifted Panamera. However, Benz is not committing itself to whether it will be offered here.
The
new car's interior design reflects the influence of a new generation of
Mercedes-Benz designers. Inside there is an elegant simplicity to the
dash, neatly wrapping around into the doors. The dash features a pair of
12.3-inch TFT monitors, one each to display the control dials and the
multimedia functions. A rotary dial between the front seats continues to
provide the revised COMMAND system's primary interface, though buyers
can specify a new speech-recognition function as an option.
The
new car delivers greater accommodation and more comfort than ever
before. The seats offer liberal cushioning, plenty of support and loads
of adjustment. The choice of high-grade materials and the way they have
been matched with each other are at the root of the S-class's appeal and
place it firmly in the realm of the Ghost and Flying Spur for luxury and feel-good factor.
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| The big four-door feels right at home on the highway whether you're behind the wheel or relaxing in back. |
There
is a claimed half an inch more head-, shoulder- and elbow room than in
the old S-class up front, while the rear has over half an inch extra
space for knees and just less than half an inch more for shoulders.
There are five different rear seat configurations, ranging from a fixed
bench to a so-called First-Class setup with Maybach-like adjustability
and fold-out tables.
Among the more flamboyant creature comforts
are optional heated armrests, a hot-stone massage function for the front
seats, an active perfuming system and a brilliantly effective
24-speaker Burmester High-End 3D surround sound system using a bass
system incorporated in the front bulkhead for concert hall-like
acoustics.
Predictably, there are sufficient safety features to
fill an encyclopedia. Many are optional, including the new rear belt bag
incorporating an airbag in the belt strap. Night vision and
radar-control cruise control with an automatic braking function are also
optional. The same goes for the extensive connectivity features based
around a WLAN Hot Spot head unit forming part of the multimedia system.
What's It Like To Drive?
Start
the S-class with its incongruously old-fashioned black plastic
electronic key, and the engine catches with a faint hum before you draw
the shift lever down a notch and pull away. One of the new car's main
assets is its advanced suspension and its uncanny ability to absorb
bumps while providing a perfectly level ride. We feel the improved ride
in the first mile and it is also immediately obvious that noise
suppression is exemplary.
The S550 gathers speed with a degree of
smoothness underlining Mercedes' efforts to make mechanical refinement a
top priority. The aim was not merely to match the A8, 7-series, XJ and
LS for driveline finesse but to attain similarly silken on-throttle
qualities to the Silver Spur and Ghost. Less inherent sportiness, more
indulging luxury is the clear message.
Squeeze the throttle more
and there is sufficient power to endow the S550 with solid acceleration.
A claimed 4.8-second 0-62-mph time makes it 0.2 second quicker than its
predecessor, and there's terrific stability as you approach the limited
155-mph top speed. The S-class spears along in a nonchalant manner,
making it hard to beat as a trans-continental express. Fuel consumption
has also improved, with Mercedes-Benz claiming 27.3 mpg combined.
The
big four-door feels right at home at a steady cruise on typical
highways. Long gearing and reasonably strong torque provide a relaxed
yet flexible quality, making the car as impressive from the driver's
seat as it is stretched out in the back. Backing up the improved
response from the engine is the enhanced gearbox; with revised
electronic mapping, it is more impressive than ever.
The
performance and driveline refinement really are masterful, but the
S-class' crowning achievement is the way it pampers. At both low speeds
around town and higher autobahn speeds it possesses a superb primary and
secondary ride and unflappable body control. Noise, vibration and
harshness levels are among the lowest we've ever encountered.
The
S-class has always been remarkably quiet, smooth and compliant, but this
new model moves the game along enough to shock the luxury car
competition. There are signs of greatness in how its complex
underpinnings cope with low and high-amplitude bumps and ridges on
standard 18-inch wheels and 245/50 tires. Where it really presses its
claim, though, is on undulating roads: It has a remarkable ability to
control heave, pitch and roll -- the body always remains level.
It
all starts with the basic suspension components, a continuously
operating adaptive damping system and an optional air suspension system
boasting double the processing power of the old S-class'. The real
highlight though is the new Magic Ride Control system. Available as an
option on the S550, it scans the road using a windscreen-mounted camera,
calculates the best suspension settings and hydraulically adjusts -- in
advance -- each individual wheel's damping up to 81 mph. The result is a
float-on-air feel isolating the whole car from any road imperfection.
There are comfort and sport modes. If you seek a highly absorbent and
miraculously supple ride, you'll like “comfort.” If it is a strongly
damped ride with excellent body control you're after, “sport” will suit.
Criticisms?
The speed-sensitive electro-mechanical steering provides a more
confidence-inspiring feel with more weighting than the old S-class, but
sometimes feels synthetic and lacks conviction off center. It is not too
off-putting -- you can still thread the new model along winding country
roads with confidence -- but in a car excelling in so many other areas,
you're left feeling the steering could offer more feedback to allow you
to better place it in corners.
A high-parcel shelf and large
rear-seat headrests combine with an angled rear screen and more tapered
C-pillars to limit rear vision. We get the feeling that the advent of
systems such as blind-spot control have allowed the designers more
freedom, at the expense of basics such as uninterrupted visibility.
Trunk capacity is reduced, too, and in a car of this size, it really is
an oversight. Beyond that and the somewhat ordinary ignition key, it is
hard to see how Benz could have improved it much.
Do I Want One?
The
new S-class represents more than a simple progression -- it is a
genuine leap over its predecessor. The main impression after driving it
for the first time is its remarkable level of overall excellence. Its
achievements far outweigh its limited weaknesses. One expects every new
S-class to bring advances, and this latest model certainly won't
disappoint.
Technologically, Mercedes-Benz's new flagship is
clearly a front-runner in the luxury car ranks, though to tap into its
vast array of features you have to be prepared to pay well in excess of
its base price. As with the outgoing model, much of what it has to offer
is optional. It is a terrifically soothing car to drive: fast,
reasonably frugal, comfortable and quiet, its interior will spoil you
both in terms of feel and function. The ride subtlety would do a
Rolls-Royce proud, and yet there's the typical and distinctive Teutonic
sense of purpose. It could just be the best Mercedes-Benz ever built.
2014 Mercedes-Benz S550
On Sale: September
Base Price: N/A
Drivetrain: 4.6-liter, 449-hp, 516-lb-ft twin-turbocharged V8; RWD, seven-speed automatic
Curb Weight: 4,277 lb
0-62 MPH: 4.8 sec
Fuel Economy (EPA Combined): 27.3 mpg
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