Mercedes-Benz S-Class Review: Benchmark Combination Of Luxury & Technology | SEE PICS

Mercedes-Benz_S-Class

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the new S-Class and the amount of technology that it has. There could be a chance that you have owned the car for some time and you still have no idea about some more features that this machine has. The S-Class is what the Mercedes brand is all about and it is its most famous product offering. This car is also their flagship and also the car that promises technology, luxury and features unlike any other. At a price of course but then S-Class owners do not mind that. The big difference between the S-Class of today and the previous generation model would be the technology again. After all, what you are seeing in an S-Class today will come in standard cars a decade or two, down the line.

Where to start? I will start from the rear seat as this is where captains of the industry would sit and mostly since the S-Class is a chauffeur-driven car. The key is a solid and heavy object which looks classy while when your chauffeur unlocks the car, the door handles pop out. They do not sit flush within the bodywork but are inviting nevertheless while being touch operated. Inside, space is huge and that is expected with this being the long-wheelbase version. More impressive than that is the seats themselves. Even the cushions are heated while seats (finished in Nappa leather) are some of the most comfortable ever. There are a lot of controls for the seats on the side but you can put the centre arm-rest down and use the tablet instead.

That said, there are two more rear screens which you can use which offer the rear entertainment function along with the ability to work/watch movies etc. I liked using the tablet and here all of the controls which are presented to the driver are accessible to you also including 10 massage programs along with the energizing comfort programs. Just say to Mercedes "I am stressed" and the car selects a relaxing massage along with music/ambient lighting to soothe your mood. It is incredible and relaxing. You can also control the functions from the rear via the MBUX system. Of course, with a car like this, you do not expect anything ordinary and even the audio system is a special one from Burmester with 4D surround sound with 30 loudspeakers while even the seats themselves have resonators for an "acoustic massage". You feel the sound, quite literally! After a long day and pressing the chauffeur setting, the rear left-seat turns into a first class airline seat where you put your feet up and relax!

Up-front the interior is different from the current S-Class but the quality is just the same or even better. I like the button-free layout and the quality of the materials is second to none. Then you look at the massive OLED screen which controls everything and the huge digital instrument cluster. The centre screen has functions for everything and let me tell you, it is not confusing to use at all. Due to the size of it, using on the go is easy plus shortcut buttons along with a well-stacked set of functions are easily available. The screen display and touch response are the best I have experienced. It has fingerprint and voice recognition for your choice settings stored or even you can simply use the "Hey Mercedes" voice command system. Like the rear seat, the front seats offer you massage and all of the functions with 19 motors in each seat! Then there is a 3D effect to the dials which you can see without wearing 3D glasses! The camera display on the centre screen is unlike anything else while the new S-Class will of course park itself.

It also makes your life easier with the rear-axle steering which moves the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front. That makes u-turns in this car similar to a much smaller sedan! In safety, it has the world's first frontal airbag for rear passengers along with a lot of driver assistance features. Sensors monitor the car around you and warn or even act when it senses any object in its path. It also warns you with the LEDs all over the interior. In fact, the use of ambient lighting and colours makes the cabin even more special. The S-Class also gets digital headlamps and takes light technology to an altogether new level being much more precise over Matrix LED headlamps.

Yes, I did drive the S-Class and you can get it in diesel plus petrol. I had the petrol version, I think, since it is so quiet, it might just have been electric! The S450 petrol gets a 3.0 turbocharged engine with 362bhp. The standard gearbox is 9-speed auto. To drive it is noiseless, relaxing and you feel literally nothing. The quietness and the smooth ride are also impressive. The launch edition gets AMG design details and massive alloys yet the ride is not harsh at all. Yes, you do feel a pimple with the sharpest of edges but it is muted. Also, the standard air suspension when raised posed no problems for our roads in terms of ground clearance. Just like everything else, even the price raises eyebrows with the S-Class now costing Rs 2.19 cr. Compared to rivals it is a lot more expensive but the S-Class has its own brand loyalty and for them, the price increase does not matter. The new S-Class looks younger and sportier while still remaining a large distance ahead from rivals in terms of all the core values associated with a luxury car. Overall, the new S-Class just combines luxury and technology in a way that makes it quite easily the current benchmark in luxury cars.

What we like - luxury, technology, performance, quality and comfort.

What we do not like - Prices have gone up considerably from the last generation model.