MOTOR News travelled to Toronto, Canada, to experience the tour de force that is the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
For many years the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been hailed as the best car in the world, not by the manufacturer, but by media and owners alike. This is quite a claim when one considers the rivals for the title such as Rolls-Royce, Bentley and the defunct Maybach.
Now the new S-Class must uphold the title and the latest generation released in Toronto, Canada, has certainly raised the bar.
Styling, both externally and internally, as well as a quality of finish that will be hard to beat, are just part of this new offering. The car is designed and built to offer the occupants the ultimate in comfort, convenience and safety and has enough technology to boggle the average driver’s mind.
A first glance tells you that the latest generation is a far more stylish and svelte sedan. Although slightly longer than its predecessor that extra length is not apparent from outside but definitely influences the space within .
Day one of the launch included a chauffeur driven tour of the city in a long wheelbase S500 and a chance to try the rear seat facilities. The options for those wishing to be driven to and from the office are impressive including items such as the business centre console with an integrated telephone handset, additional stowage compartments, a folding table and twin display units mounted on the front seat backrests.
There are additional options too, one of which is really for the hardworking executive or the jetlagged motoring scribe and that is in the rear seats themselves. These can incorporate the Energising massage system, including hot stone effect, as well as a backrest that reclines by 43.5° and a rising footrest to really relax the occupant. I must admit I could get used to the facilities of the S-Class.
The afternoon was spent with a simulator which was set up in the basement of the hotel, the purpose being to demonstrate the driver assistance for night driving. The simulator provided an impressive display of night vision assist and adaptive lighting.
Day two was a chance to get behind the wheel and experience all that the car’s Intelligent Drive can offer. The test drive headed north from Toronto to the lake area of Muskoka . The drive of 180km was a mix of city traffic, rural roads and villages and expressways with road surfaces from ultra smooth to rough. I spent most of my time with the S500 short wheelbase on all the roads leading to the first destination, Muskoka Airport, situated outside the town of Gravenhurst.
The airstrip was the venue for a demonstration of many of the onboard systems known as Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Drive and one can only describe the plethora of driver assist programmes as probably the most dynamic leap forward in automotive technology we have yet seen. They included Distronic Plus with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot, Active Lane Keeping Assist, BAS Plus with Cross-Traffic Assist, Night View Assist Plus and Active Parking Assist — and these were only a few of the systems offered.
Also at the airfield were the hybrid versions — the S350 BlueTec diesel and the S400 hybrid petrol. The S350 uses a 2,987cc V6 diesel engine that produces 190kW at 3,600r/min with torque of 370Nm between 3,500 and 5,250r/min with the electric motor adding 20kW and 250Nm. The S400 hybrid’s 3,498cc V6 delivers 225kW at 6,500r/min and 370Nm between 3,500 and 5,250 and the electric motor developing the same as that fitted to the S350. Fuel consumption is claimed at 6.3l /100km for the S400 and 5.5l /100km for the S350 version.
The route to the lunch stop was mainly rural roads and offered a chance to experience the V8’s 4,663cc engine, with 335kW and 700Nm. The car was superb and apart from the engine performance the seven-speed 7G-Tronic Plus transmission provided seamless shifts and perfect ratios to match the engine’s demands.
Chassis dynamics were impressive and the vehicle provided amazingly agile handling with surprisingly crisp steering response. It is well mannered but still offers a sporting character with an almost nonexistent noise level and a ride quality that rivals the world’s best limousines. The new model is 100kg lighter than the last generation and torsional stiffness is up by 50%, which contributes to that excellent ride.
I also spent some time with Thomas Hellmuth, project director for the S-Class, who told me the design and development of the new range started six and a half years ago . The previous version sold 500,000 units since its launch in September 2005 and as of last month more than 20,000 orders have been received.
The S-Class will be released in SA later this year and the range will be the S350 BlueTec SWB and the S400 hybrid, the latter coming in both short and long wheelbase. The same goes for the S500 and later in the year the short wheelbase AMG derivative will arrive. Pricing was not available at the time of writing.
• NEXT WEEK: John looks at the technology inside the new S-Class
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