S- Class still the leader in luxury

seen in the E- Class. Each screen runs to a full 12.3- inches diagonally and are designed to seamlessly provide a widescreen cockpit for the driver.

The set- up was impressive when it arrived with the E- Class and remains so here.

Naturally you could spend hours configuring each screen to show a mix of the vehicle, GPS and infortainment data you require for your commute to the office.

Gone is the separate stalk for Distronic and cruise control functions; replaced with buttons on the steering wheel that work a bit like a smartphone screen. On paper, this sounds like it could be fiddly, but in practice you get used to it after a few kilometres. The steering wheel somehow pulls off the trick of being utterly festooned with features, but remains tastefully simple — almost retro — all at the same time.

Not that you need to use buttons if you don’t want to; the S- Class’s Linguatronic voice- control system now obeys more than 450 commands.

New Zealand pricing won’t be available until closer to the model’s official on- sale date in December, but then with the S- Class, if you have to ask . . .

Right now, you’ll need to pony up a couple of hundred thousand to get on the S- Class ladder; a scenario that’s unlikely to change much with the updated model.

From launch we’ll get a “standard” S 350d turbo diesel and an S 560 featuring the new petrol V8. In 2018, early- adopters will also be able to pair the S 560 with plug- in hybrid technology, although the resultant S 560e will be available only in longwheelbase configuration, as will the big Mercedes- AMG S 63.

Models with the “L” designation up their length from a shade more than five metres to just over 5.2m.

If sir/ madam wishes to inquire about the “THE IDEA BEHIND THE S- CLASS IS ACTUALLY VERY SIMPLE; IT IS DESIGNED TO BE THE BEST CAR IN THE WORLD” Mercedes- Benz exterior designer, Achim- Dietrich Badstubner Mercedes- Maybach S 650, sir/ madam is welcome to have a private chat with a Mercedes- Benz representative. This uber- spesh S is being built in right- hand drive, so is available to the market.

We do miss out on 4Matic ( allwheel drive) versions of the S- Class however; while the S 350d and S 560 are available as either all- or rear- wheel drive cars in Europe, 4Matic versions of Mercedes’ flagship are left- hand drive- only, with no plan to change this.

The previous S 400 and V12- engined S 600 models will disappear from the New Zealand market, too.

Traditionally, V8 sales have commanded 70 per cent of the S- Class audience in New Zealand, with 20 per cent opting for turbo diesel power and 10 per cent heading straight to the top- of- theline AMG. The rarefied air of the AMGversion aside, after sampling it in Europe this week, the S 560 promises big things for large sedan fans here.

Things are heating up in the luxury segment. The forthcoming Audi A8 promises even higher levels of semi- autonomous driving ability, which may or may not translate to the New Zealand highway, and BMWdoubles down on its top model, with a 7- Seriesbased X7 SUV promised for late next year. Range Rover is adding to its portfolio with the Velar and, although the Genesis G70 remains something of a luxo- upstart for now, look how quickly the Korean parent brand has enmeshed itself within the mainstream scene. Only a fool would disregard it outright.

Despite all this, you can still appreciate Mercedes- Benz’s confident calm upon the arrival of the updated S- Class.

Mercedes- Benz exterior designer Achim- Dietrich Badstubner suggested to media that: “The idea behind the S- Class is actually very simple; it is designed to be the best car in the world. The S- Class is our soul. It is the market benchmark.” Bold statements there. But the S- Class has always been

a bold car.