Benchmark for luxury cars

The motor industry has a handful of benchmark cars. At any point they may not be the very best in their class but the pedigree is long enough to mark them as something special.

Examples include the Volkswagen Golf and the Range Rover and you could debate whether the Porsche 911 or the Mazda MX-5 now represents the sports car yardstick.

And in the upper-luxury realm the car by which all others are judged is the big Mercedes-Benz S-Class Saloon.

S-Class competes with BMW 7 Series, Audi A8, Lexus LS and Jaguar XJ rivals. And the segment has been enlivened a little in recent times by some more sports themed cars such as the Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide and Maserati Quattroporte and the response in the shape of the Mercedes-Benz CLS, Audi A7 and BMW 6 Series GranCoupe. It’s been a while since I have driven an S-Class and a Model Year 2018 update for the sixth generation W222 provided a chance to revisit

THE NUMBERS

the luxury saloon benchmark. Among the changes that rolled out last year was the discontinuation of V6 engines — replaced by a new family of in-line sixes — and the introduction of the 9G-Tronic automatic transmission.

From a wide range of engine choices New Zealand gets three versions of the S-Class with sixcylinder diesel muscle in the S

350d and turbocharged V8 urgency for the S 560 and long wheelbase AMG S 63L.

I knew what to expect but there is still a re-set required as you settle into the remarkably quiet, luxuriously comfortable and refined driving experience the S 350d delivers. There are less expensive Mercedes-Benz models with more performance and some more expensive ones with a great deal more punch but nothing as formal, conservative and wellmannered as the S-Class.

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2925cc, 24-valve six-cylinder in-line, direct injection and turbocharged diesel 210kW at 3600pm 600Nm at 1200rpm 5125mm 1899mm

1496m 3035mm 1970kg 70 litres Alloy, front 8.5 x 20-inch, rear 9.5 x 20-inch (option)

Pirelli P-Zero run-flat radial, front 245/40 R 20, rear 275/35 R 20 (option)

The S 350d is the base model in the S-Class line-up. It still boasts plush air suspension that gives a supple ride yet taut body control and a raft of active safety and driver assist technologies. Pricing begins at $176,900 which actually positions the S 350d at a lower price point than several other Mercedes-Benz car and luxury SUV models. I thought the price was a pleasant surprise and even with a dive into the option list which priced the test car at $193,475 the S 350d has the look, feel and status of an even more expensive car.

All this luxury comes in large sizing with the S 350d measuring

up at 5125mm in length with a wheelbase just over three metres.

That length means generous cabin space and in particular ample rear seat legroom.

In the test car the rear comfort was enhanced by the optional Rear Seat package ($3425) which adds the comfort of power reclining outer rear seats and headrest adjustment along with seat heating to the comfort equation. It does bring the compromise of effectively turning the big saloon into a four-seater and robs 30 litres of boost space.

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