Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its all-new S-Class flagship limousine, a car so luxurious and effortless that one German pundit said driving one was like being on vacation.
“Mercedes has turned the S-Class into a temple of luxury,” wrote Wolfgang Koenig in the Autobild motoring gazette. “A journey in the new S-Class is like going to stay at a spa resort.” A supremely self-confident Daimler boss Dieter Zetsche earlier dubbed the new S-Class “the best car in the world.” However journalists will not get to test-drive the vehicle until July. It enters showrooms soon afterwards.
The redrawn four-door limousine exudes elegance and sophistication. The new S-Class carries over many visual styling elements from the previous model yet manages to look strikingly contemporary.
Mercedes customers tend to be more conservative than those of rivals BMW and Audi, and the S-Class retains an air of confidence and authority befitting its wealthy owners.
Five different lengths are offered although the export focus is on the long-wheelbase chauffeur-driven guise — 40 per cent of them are expected to be sold in China. The S-Class supplants a model from 2007 and also replaces the discontinued ultra-luxury Maybach limousine.
The new S-Class boasts a lower aerodynamic profile and a range of powerful engines, including a 455-horsepower unit for the top S500 model. Adaptive suspension called “Magic Body Control” ensures a silky smooth ride.
It terms of comfort, noise reduction and connectivity, the S-Class pushes the envelope a long way. Most of the luxurious features cater for clients in the Asian market which is becoming increasingly important for Mercedes-Benz.
Interior space is much more generous compared to the previous model, with rear seats which recline almost flat and cushions for both the head and feet.
Innovations include six seat-massage options, including one which can mimic soothing “Hot Stone” beauty treatment along with “Air Balance” air-conditioning which filters out dust and spores.
A built-in atomizer fills the cabin with a range of fragrances and even the steering wheel can be heated. Dash-mounted TFT screens aid navigation and connectivity while a 24-speaker sound system ensures high-quality music.
With the multimedia gadgets switched off, the cabin is so quiet that occupants are said to be completely cushioned from the world outside.
Despite universal praise in the motoring press, the new luxury limousine seems out of touch with gridlocked cities worldwide and efforts to make cars smaller and more fuel-efficient.
This has sparked some criticism in Germany where sensitivity to environmental concerns is high.
The respected Sueddeutsche Zeitung called the new S-Class a “dinosaur” which would undoubtedly make a lot of money for Mercedes-Benz — “but for how long?” asked the paper.
Journalist Thomas Fromm said car-sharing and new sustainable forms of mobility were more likely to prevail in the long-term.
“In the Arab counties and in China and Russia, owning a big car is a symbol of status and for many people a luxury limousine with the Mercedes star on the bonnet remains an icon.
“Yet in this transitional phase it symbolizes a manufacturing sector which must be careful not to find itself overwhelmed by change. It certainly does not represent the future,” he wrote.