As you approach the seventh generation of the Mercedes S-Class, it's tough to avoid thinking back to the first six.
 |
| Reviews of Mercedes-S-Class Benz |
Smartest car in the world Mercedes S-Class Benz 2022
Consider them and feel sorry for such meager technical firsts as airbags (1981's W126) or anti-lock brakes (1978, on the W116). Remember how amazed you were when you first saw a car with double-glazed windows, as the monstrous W140 from 1991?
This all-new S-Class, or W223, if you're inclined, is likely the largest reset since the Sonderklasse made its debut in 1972, making it alluring to look forward forty years and speculate about what may be in store for future universe-rulers.
It's a head-turner, a vehicle that anticipates the future more than ever before, and it offers modern obsessions like connection, digitization, electrification, and autonomy the mother and father of all Mercedes twists.
Expectations are undoubtedly quite high, but as anybody who has struggled with an E-steering Class's wheel touchpads can attest, the road to high-tech Nirvana is paved with potential dangers on all sides.
Mercedes has occasionally put the idea that anything can be had in excess to the test. The hubris should be kept in check by corporate pride.
 |
| Reviews of Mercedes-S-Class Benz |
THEN, A LOT OF TECHS. WHERE DO I START?
If the garage is networked to handle it, maybe with the new S-Class' Drive Pilot hard- and software, which can call on level for autonomy, so the car can find a place and park itself.
Germany is also close to approving sections of autobahn that will enable the S-Class to operate at speeds up to 37 mph with conditionally automated level three autonomy. Only trusted in gridlock, we say.
Driving while not paying attention allows you to view your emails. Even while some could claim that this is the pinnacle of chauffeur-driven automobiles and has long been autonomous, the person in the rear is probably the one checking email.
Chinese consumers, who purchased 35% of the 500,000 S-Classes now on the market, enjoy driving their vehicles on the weekends; shortly, they will be able to just sit behind the wheel.
IS IT NOT ELECTRIC?
No, you are considering the EQS. The new S-Class still depends on internal combustion for propulsion, despite its technological prowess. Another one of those German vehicles from the twenty-first century with a name that has nothing to do with what's under the hood.
The S500 is a mild hybrid with an additional 22 horsepower and 184 torques that has a 3.0-liter in-line six turbochargers that produces 429 bhp and 384 torques.
Additionally, there is a S400d 4Matic with 325 bhp and 516 lb-ft of torque, a 2.9-liter turbo diesel with 282 bhp and 442 lb-ft of torque, and an upcoming 4.0-liter V8 petrol with mild-hybrid technology.
The 580e plug-in hybrid version, which adds a 28.6 kWh battery to the 3.0-liter straight six to offer a stated range on electric power of 62 miles, is the one to have right now (and probably the best of the range in perpetuity).
It doesn't look like the most exciting big salon, does it?
The double-glazed S-Class of the early 1990s arrived into a worldwide recession with a brash harmlessness that its successor exchanged for a near-invisibility just as the good times started rolling again. The S-Class hasn't always shown an ability to "read the room."
This version appears to be a little underwhelming in the photographs, but when you see it in person, you can tell that its designers gave it a lot of careful thought. For those nations and individuals immune to pandemics and economic hardship, there is always the new Maybach.
I suspect there is plenty of space in the back
The new S-Class has extended 34 mm in length to approximately 5.3 m, and it is 1.92 m wide. In the UK, 80% of S-Classes sold are the long-wheelbase model.
Now measuring 3,216 mm in length, the larger wheelbase. The driver now has 38 mm more elbow space, the back passengers have 23 mm more, and there is 16 mm greater headroom.
WHAT ABOUT THE OUTER AREAS?
The grille has enlarged, as usual, the body sides and flanks are simpler but still beautifully textured, and the headlights and taillights are less visually appealing but now have the most astoundingly sophisticated illumination technology.
This setup employs three extremely strong LEDs whose light is refracted and guided by 1.3 m micro mirrors, translating to 2.6 million pixels of light overall. Multibeam LEDs are standard, and Digital Light is an option. Additionally, it is intelligent:
- As a driving warning, if the car detects up-front road construction, it will display a road sign on the road ahead.
- If necessary, you may also illuminate a pedestrian.
- Close Encounters of the Third Kind will be similar to this.
The level of detail execution on this automobile is insane and even extends to the two distinct door handles. The traditional ones are comparable to the present, fairly outdated setup.
The flush-fitting handles are another option; they are activated by the key-fob and slide into view to welcome you and your hands as you approach.
You could believe that going through all of this bother is unnecessary. Before giving them a try. They also contribute to the remarkable aerodynamics of the vehicle, which in its most nimble configuration cleaves the air with a drag coefficient of only 0.22. In the region around Stuttgart, nothing is left untouched.
WHAT ARE THE RESULTS?
"A spectacular blend of cutting-edge technology and sumptuous luxury results in an automobile that lights the way forward."
This seventh generation S-Class, as we stated at the outset, may mark the greatest advancement since the model's introduction some 50 years ago. It's an incredibly complete car that manages to evoke a fully modern concept of automotive elegance without going overboard with technology.
Particularly, the hybrid model raises the bar for others to follow in terms of range, tech integration, and usability.
The user interface for the second-generation Mercedes is intuitive to use and exquisitely presented, with each detail well handled. However, this is still a car, and driving is a highly pleasant experience whether you're in the driver's seat or behind them.