FIRSTDRIVE MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASS:IF YOU'RE of a nervous disposition, Mercedes has just the car for you in its revised S-Class. Steady your hand, tick all of the safety options and you'll end up with a car loaded with no less than 17 separate fail-safes, writes ALISDAIR SUTTIE
Alongside the standard ESP traction control, ABS anti-lock brakes and Merc’s ingenious Pre-Safe system – it primes the seat belts and brakes if it senses an impending collision – S-Class buyers are now enveloped in more technology than Bill Gates’s development laboratory.
On the lengthy list sit Adaptive High Beam Assist to automatically dip the headlights when a car is approaching and Attention Assist to sound a warning if the car thinks that the driver may be nodding off.
There’s also Lane Keeping Assist to tell the driver if the car is wandering over a road marking it shouldn’t be, while Night View Assist Plus helps spot pedestrians in the dark.
It’s a huge amount of technology and could be overwhelming. Luckily, Mercedes has thought of this too and these safety systems are as discreet as the car itself. The only way the driver knows any or all of the safety gadgets are doing their stuff is by a few small tell-tales on the dash. In normal driving, you’d never even know they’re there – this is hi-tech with a low impact.
One technical improvement you’ll notice is the SplitView display screen. Placed high in the centre of the dash, it shows the satellite navigation screen – as you’d expect – but the clever bit is the same monitor can show television to the passenger without distracting the driver.
So, is the revised S-Class more of a software upgrade? Well, reprogramming does account for many of the changes and the only visual clues from outside of the car are a slightly reshaped front bumper and grille, and a rear bumper that now moulds itself around oval exhaust pipes.
The only other giveaway is that there are LED daytime running lights set into the lower front air intakes. As for the interior, it is the same as before – a cocoon of sybaritic pleasures. The driver is treated to superb all-round vision and a driving position easily tailored to the individual. In the rear, there’s plenty of space for two or three to spread out and Mercedes continues to offer the S-Class in standard and long wheelbase versions to give the choice of lots of storage or loads of legroom.
Out of sight, Mercedes has made a couple of significant mechanical changes. First off, the S 350 CDi replaces the S 320 CDi turbodiesel. The revised diesel model is spotted by the “Blue Efficiency” badges on its flanks. Through the addition of low rolling resistance tyres and a seven-speed automatic gearbox which puts itself into neutral when the car is at a standstill, it has improved economy and emissions.
The S 350 CDi manages to return a combined consumption figure of 7.6l/100km, compared to the S 320 CDi’s 8.3l/100km. Just as important is the drop in emissions from the old model’s 220g/km to 199g/km, even if the revised car still sits in the same Band F for road tax.
There’s no more power for the S 350 CDi and it’s the same story across the rest of the engine range, which is unchanged for the face-lifted model. Mercedes has introduced the S 400 Hybrid, which uses a small electric motor to give better economy and emissions than the S 350 CDi turbodiesel model, but this car will not be sold in right-hand drive markets, so won’t make it here – a shame as its 186g/km CO2 emissions would put it in tax Band E.
There is the compensation that the S-Class remains one of the world’s truly luxurious drives. The S 350 CDi’s V6 turbodiesel can be heard faintly when the car is trickling through traffic or if the driver demands full power for overtaking, but otherwise it’s hushed.
The diesel doesn’t quite deliver the punch of the petrol engines and the S 350 petrol model makes a very compelling case for itself. It delivers stronger performance than its diesel sister, covering 0-100km/h in 7.3 seconds and providing more urgency when overtaking.
However, the petrol and diesel models share the same plush ride that shrugs off lumpy roads, and the S-Class also handles with surprising agility for a car of its size and purpose.
If you want even more oomph, the S 450 and S 500 V8 models deliver as much as most drivers could ever want, while the S 600, with its 5.5-litre V12, is strictly for those with pockets as deep as the oil wells needed to fuel it. That said, anyone considering an S-Class will need large reserves as the revised range is expected to cost from €112,000 when it goes on sale in October. Given the current economic climate, that’s enough to make anyone nervous.
Factfile
Mercedes S 350 CDi
Price:€112,000 (est; prices not yet released)
Engine:3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel
Peak power:235bhp @ 3,600rpm
Peak torque:540Nm @ 1,600-2,400rpm
Transmission:seven-speed auto
0-100km/h:7.8 seconds
CO2 emissions:199g/km
L/100km:7.6
S 350
Price:€124,000 est
Engine:3.5-litre V6 petrol
Peak power:272bhp @ 6,000rpm
Peak torque:350Nm @ 2,400-5,000rpm
Transmission:seven-speed auto
0-100km/h:7.3 seconds
CO2 emissions:234g/km
L/100km:10