There’s plenty to impress
Electronic features most impactful
• It’s tougher than one might think to determine what’s most impressive about Mercedes’ refresh of its S- Class. The iconic flagship gains a couple of new motors, more horsepower across the board and more powerful ( semi) autonomous driving abilities.
To start, Mercedes’ took the wraps off a new 4.0-litre V8. Still turbocharged like its predecessor, it’s a step forward, its twin twin- scroll turbochargers nestled in the vee of the motor and helping it make no less than 603 horsepower ( 33 hp more than before) and 664 poundfeet of torque in S63 AMG guise. That’s a bunch of grunt. With S63’s new Race Start launch control system, nine- speed automatic transmission and its new fully variable 4Matic+ AWD system, it’s enough to scoot the big (2,192 kilograms) car to 100 kilometres an hour in a quite astonishing 3.5 seconds.
And yet, I actually like the garden variety S 560 4Matic more. Essentially the same engine — with a higher compression ratio but noticeably less turbo boost — this version of Merc’s S- Class is still blessed with 463 ponies ( 14 more than previously) and a clearly not insubstantial 516 lb-ft of torque. Its time to 100 km/ h may be slower at 4.6 seconds, but it’s still a whole bunch more rapid than 99 per cent of the automotive population.
It also makes for more civilized comportment. All those pound- feet may make for great bragging rights, as does the S63’s supercarquick acceleration, but all that power seems j ust a touch overwrought in what is, after all, supposed to be a luxury limousine.
Besides, I ramped the long- wheelbase S 560 up to its 210 km/ h top speed ( it’s electronically limited; the S63 is not) and it was well into the don’t- pass- go, go-straight-to-jail speeds in less time than it takes to write a $ 124,400 cheque for the car. And, despite its softer suspension, the S 560 remains as rock steady at those supra- legal speeds as the Swiss economy ( to borrow a local reference).
Indeed, for those wondering what is the attraction of the S- Class and why it’s perennially the market leader in the uber sedan segment, it is this very imperturbability that separates the S- Class from pretenders to the throne. And, as I said, you can get as much of that in the S 560 as you can in the $39,100-more-expensive S63.
It’s also worth noting an innovation we Canadians won’t be getting, namely the S 500 Hybrid that combines a new 3.0-L in-line six that is blessed with a 48-volt “mild” hybrid system. It’s plenty peppy (there’s 435 hp on tap), smooth as silk and, according to Mercedes- Benz, consumes about 22 per cent less fuel than the outgoing S 500. Even a few minutes with this advanced powertrain makes it hard to understand why we’re not getting it.
Still, as impressive as all that internal combustion is, it’s getting to the point where the most impactful advances the S- Class has to offer are electronic. After all, this is the top-of-the-line car from the acknowledged leader in electronic gadgetry, safety or otherwise.
And the S has a truckload of it. Improved for the 2018 model year is a suite of safety gizmos called Intelligent Drive, first previewed on the new E- Class, now in its 4.5 iteration, improved here for the flagship.
There are too many enhancements to list — indeed, the description of the new electronics takes up more space in the company’s SClass press material than bragging about the new engine — but one of the highlights is a new Distronic adaptive cruise control system that automatically adjusts your cruising speed according to both conditions and local speed limits.
Say, for instance, you’re booting along at a bucktwenty on the highway only to come upon a construction zone with a speed limit reduced to 60 km/h. Distronic will automatically reduce your velocity without your interjection. It will also, once you’ve passed the restricted zone, increase your speed without your attention, but only to the new posted speed limit. If you want to return to your previous 120 km/ h cruise in a 100 km/ h zone, you’ll have to do that manually.
More impressive is the part of the Active Speed Limit Assist system that automatically slows down for tight corners. Because the car’s new, more sophisticated GPS system knows the oncoming corners before you do, it can prepare ahead of time. And that’s not even the most impressive part: the “cruising” speed through those apexes depends on the drive mode selected.
There’s plenty more. Active Lane Changing Assist changes lanes automatically at the flip of a turn signal, Active Steering Assist now aids in even more situations and the S- Class can now stop for as much as 30 seconds in a traffic jam and still return to its previous speed. It’ll also park itself, recognize traffic signs you’ve probably forgotten and will, from an even higher speed than previous Mercedes, bring itself to a complete stop in emergency situations. Like I said, there’s so much to explore inside the S- Class’ electronic brain, it’s hard to know where to start.
As for the rest of the car, it’s a Mercedes S- Class, so yes, it’s opulent. Indeed, one can’t help but wonder if Mercedes is having trouble finding things to render more hedonistic. For instance, the S- Class now has moods — Joy, Refresh and more — that combine the seat massaging f unction ( which, again, the previous model had) with scents (which it also had) with specifically tailored music. It all seems a tad, well, contrived, especially the Training mode that orders you to do all manner of exercise — shoulder rolls, handgrips, etc. — while driving. Impressive as Mercedes’ Germanically- officious Jane Fonda may be in the showroom, I suspect this last feature will be the least used option in automotive history.
Nonetheless, there have been i mprovements. For one, Mercedes has finally abandoned the archaic extra steering stem stalk for cruise control manipulation in favour of industry- standard steering wheel controls. Said steering wheel also includes two new, quite tiny, touchpads to manipulate infotainment controls. It takes time to get used to their finicky response, but in the end they prove quite useful.
More impressive, however, is the instrument cluster/ telematics screen. Two huge 12.3- inch displays — one for the instrument cluster, the other for the infotainment system — are put together to dominate the dashboard, in effect creating a customizable 25-inch computer display. Yes, Mercedes COMAND system is still a tad complicated, but like those new steering wheelmounted miniature touchpads I mentioned, familiarity will breed acceptance.
Indeed, that last sentence pretty much describes the entire S- Class. Yes, it can be a tad complicated and it is sometimes a little overwrought, but as a celebration of man’s ability to innovate the driving experience, it has no equal.