Mercedes S-class
Plug-in petrol and diesel-electric power for Mercedes’ seventh-gen luxury limo
To turn hybrid only; EV to follow
Mercedes-benz has gone back to the drawing board with the S-class in a bid to provide the upcoming seventhgeneration model with a range of electrified powertrains, driver assistance features, technology and outright comfort to lift it beyond luxury saloon rivals such as the Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series.
The new Mercedes flagship, which is due in UK showrooms next year, has been developed to support two distinctly different saloon models for the first time. While standard versions are set to receive a range of plug-in hybrid drivetrains, the German car maker also plans to introduce an aerodynamically optimised pure-electric version that insiders say will serve as the flagship model for MercedesBenz’s new EQ electric vehicle sub-brand.
Badged EQ S, the new model will offer a claimed range in excess of 310 miles on the latest WLTP test cycle when it goes on sale in 2022. Plug-in hybrid versions of the S-class will feature part-time zero-emission capability for distances of up to 62 miles, together with the option of a newly developed 4Matic four-wheel drive system with fully variable apportioning of drive between the front and rear axles.
The EQ S forms part of Mercedes’ £9 billion programme to introduce more than 10 dedicated electric vehicles to the UK market within the next six years.
In a further change, it is believed that Mercedes-benz has decided to do away with its long tradition of offering the standard S-class, which goes under the internal codename W223, with two different wheelbases. Nothing is official at this stage, but it is understood that the growth of the E-class to a length of 4920mm is behind a decision to produce the new S-class exclusively in long-wheelbase guise, with the car measuring around 5280mm in length.
The basis for standard plugin hybrid versions of the new S-class is the latest evolution of Mercedes’ modular rear architecture (MRA), with a greater percentage of aluminium in its floorpan and the adoption of carbonfibre elements to reduce weight but elevate rigidity.
However, while the standard S-class sits on the MRA platform, the more technically advanced four-wheel drive EQ S will be the first MercedesBenz model to be based on the new modular electric architecture (MEA) platform. Unlike the structures being developed to underpin smaller EQ models, it is not based on an existing platform but has been developed as dedicated EV architecture with a flat floor to house batteries.
The drivelines set to power hybrid versions of the new S-class are based around Mercedes’ latest 3.0-litre and 2.9-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines and the Amg-developed 4.0-litre V8, all of which operate in combination with a discshaped electric motor housed within the automatic gearbox and a lithium ion battery located in the boot floor.
The pure-electric EQ S is set to receive two electric motors – one acting on the front axle and the other driving the rear – providing permanent four-wheel drive in all variants. In the upcoming EQ C, this set-up delivers more than 400bhp and some 516lb ft, although engineers involved on the development of the EQ S suggest it will offer even greater levels of power and torque, with a planned AMG performance model earmarked to produce more than 600bhp.
Despite the differing platforms, both the standard S-class and the EQ S are set to share the same active suspension system. A development of the existing S-class’s Airmatic+ system, it works in combination with a 48V electrical architecture and a stereo camera that scans the road ahead to ad just the spring and damper action on each wheel, allowing it to not only counteract body lean in corners but also to better control pitch.
Stylistically, the new S-class is claimed to break new ground with a lineage that sources at Mercedes-benz’s design studio contend will influence a whole new generation of models. Recent prototype spy shots preview a design that will feature distinctive tri-band LED multibeam headlights, a new interpretation of the classic Mercedes-benz grille and door handles that retract back into the bodywork to help improve aerodynamic properties.
It is understood that the EQ S will adopt its own distinct styling. Reflecting the packaging advantages inherent in electric vehicles, the EQ S will receive a shorter bonnet and more heavily raked windscreen than the standard version of the new S-class, similar to that on the Mercedes-benz CLS.
The standard S Class and the EQ S will share the same active suspension system