Mercedes-Benz has launched the new S-Class, its top-end luxury saloon, which is due in the showrooms in spring 2006.
As ever, Mercedes brings more technology to bear on the problems of isolating driver and passengers from the rest of the world while allowing them to make progress. The new S-Class replaces the existing car, of which around 485,000 examples have been produced since 1998.
New technologies include Brake Assist Plus with radar sensors, seats with an extended massage function, an infra-red night view system, the new central command system, preventive occupant protection, and Parking Assist.
New S-Class will launch in the UK with four engines – three petrol and one diesel – three of which are new. They generate up to 26 per cent more power and up to 15 per cent more torque. In addition to the 272bhp 3.5-litre V6 unit first seen in the SLK-Class, a new eight-cylinder unit developing 388bhp and a muscular 390lb-ft of torque from 2,800 rpm upwards. The new V8 accelerates the S 500 from standstill to 62.5 mph in 5.4 seconds.
Also available from launch will be the new V6 CDI engine, which has a particulate filter as standard. This direct-injection unit has an output of 231bhp and generates a maximum torque of 398lb-ft from 1,600 rpm -- none too shabby, and an improvement over the preceding model by 13 per cent in output and eight per cent in torque.
The output of the 12-cylinder engine in the top-of-the-range S 600 has increased to 517bhp, while torque has increased by just under four per cent to a mighty 612lb-ft from 1,900 rpm.
All get Mercedes' 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission.
The Brake Assist Plus system registers vehicles ahead by radar and gives a warning if the gap is too small or the closing speed is too high. If a collision threatens, it calculates the ideal braking assistance in fractions of a second and makes this available immediately – even if the driver applies too little pressure to the brake pedal to help cut the incidence of rear-end collisions. It also activates the adaptive brake light, which warns following traffic by flashing during emergency braking.
People inside get protection from sensors which detect if deceleration exceeds a certain level or a skid is imminent. It tensions the front seat belts as a precaution and inflates air cushions in the multi-contour seats to envelop and support all occupants. It also closes all side windows.
Mercedes claimed that the new control system allows fast access to frequently-used functions, although you can still use conventional switches for many functions, such as climate control.
It includes a radio, CD/DVD player and a port for computer memory cards -- we think Mercedes means PC Cards but it might mean flash memory -- as standard. All cars get a Europe-wide satnav system which stores mapping data on a hard drive for faster route calculation.
The steering wheel and instrument cluster integrate important information and functions with the centrepiece being a colour screen. At the lower edge of the cockpit display, a plain-text array offers up to seven main menus for individual settings, display modes and operating functions can be controlled, depending on the level of equipment.
Mercedes has also provided a paddle shift, dispensing with the usual gear selector lever on the centre console.
Brake Assist Plus -- an optional extra -- is available in combination with Benz's proximity control system Distronic Plus. This radar-supported system now operates at all speeds between zero and 125 mph and ensures even greater driver comfort. In stop-and-go traffic , it keeps the car the right distance from the vehicle ahead, automatically brakes the saloon to a standstill if necessary and accelerates it back to the required speed when the traffic starts moving again. Mercedes reckoned that it "reduces the driver’s workload and provides considerable benefits in driver-fitness safety." It also sounds like a recipe for allowing drivers to fall asleep behind the wheel...
The equipment package with Brake Assist Plus and Distronic Plus also includes a new radar-based Parking Assist system. With a longer range than ultrasonic, it gives earlier warning when reversing.
Most usefully, the new night view assist system is based on a pair of infra-red headlamps that extend the driver’s range of vision to more than 150 metres when on low beam. An infra-red camera mounted on the inside of the windscreen records the reflected image of the road ahead and displays this in the instrument cluster. Mercedes reckoned that the system makes pedestrians, cyclists, parked cars and other obstacles visible much sooner than with headlights alone.
The seats cosset you in ways unimaginable, with airbags galore, massaging features and infinite adjustment ranges.
The air suspension provides top ride comfort, though pressing the Sport button means lowers the suspension by up to 20 mm to improve handling dynamics, aerodynamics and fuel consumption; above 75 mph this happens irrespective of Sport setting. Active body control suspension is optional.
Mercedes' adaptive brake system helps drivers do hill-starts and is claimed to shorten wet braking distances. The parking brake is electrically assisted for the first time – the brake is applied merely by pressing a button, and is released automatically when the car moves off.
The new S is bigger than its predecessor in every respect by amounts far too tedious to list here.
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