Our colleagues from Auto Motor und Sport share their exclusive first impression and static analysis of the 2018 Mercedes S-Class facelift, which will be available in autumn 2017. With comprehensive innovations, the new S-Class celebrated its world championship at the Auto Shanghai. Now it can be ordered starting from 84.639 euros.
Although this is not an entirely new Mercedes-S class, the best limo in the world shows itself completely renewed technologically. Among the highlights is a new engine range, features for autonomous driving as well as even more comfort and wellness in the interior.
You can hear it with almost every new release: This car is much sportier. But the S-Class is not sold as an outstanding athlete, but as the brand flagship and that should speak for itself. Anyone who finds himself behind the newly designed three-spoke steering seat also feels like a sporty pilot. The cockpit encloses the driver without narrowing it. You have as much space as you need and a tidy ambience. The visibility is good all round. Only the small size of the rear screen is a small niggle, but the 360-degree camera monitoring system is welcomed as an eye replacement.
But what looks taut-athletic at the front is a different world behind. The space conditions move confidently towards the conference room – both forwards and upwards. Because of the width of the middle armrest, one could literally struggle to touch the other passenger. Always a nice detail: When the reading lights are actuated, they do not go vulgarly on or off, but dimming gently into the desired condition.
Facelift Mercedes S-Class gets new LED lights
The design of the luxury liner is only marginally modified. The biggest change is at the front. All models are equipped with a new radiator grille, which comes with slats and vertical bars, depending on the motor. Also new are the optional Multibeam LED headlights with the distinctive three LED daytime running lights. This system allows the driver to drive continuously with the high beam on – depending on the traffic situation, individual LED units are switched off, for example, to avoid dazzling the oncoming traffic. Furthermore, pedestrians at the roadside or animals are highlighted. The front and rear bumpers are also modified. Just as new is the front bumper with distinctive air intakes. At the rear, the new LED lights with tail light in crystal optics as well as the new rear aprons with integrated, visible tailpipes appear.
New steering wheel, new touchpad
While the exterior of the Mercedes S-Class hardly changes in the course of the facelift, the Mercedes engineers and designers set their sights firmly on the interior. The two new, high-resolution displays, each with a 12.3-inch diagonal, merge optically under a common cover glass to form a widescreen cockpit and thus emphasize the horizontal orientation of the interior design as a central element. In addition, in the future, the driver can also control all system functions via a newly designed three-spoke steering wheel and its touch-sensitive buttons. This is supposed to work intuitively and without problems, as Daimler’s development chief Ole Kallänius promises. In addition, the infotainment system can be operated via the touchpad controller in the center console or the voice control. Also new is the operation of the cruise control via buttons on the steering wheel.
Also new is the Energizing comfort control, which links various comfort systems. It uses specific functions of the air-conditioning system (including scenting) and of the seats (heating, ventilation, massage), the surface heating as well as light and music moods and allows a special wellness set-up according to the mood or needs of the customer. For example, in the “Vitality” set, the S-Class plays songs with faster beats and the S-Class ambient light turns into a rich red, while the joy setting with sun-yellow color accents is meant to give joyous minds.
The engine range of the Mercedes S-Class is also being revised at the Facelift. The four-liter Biturbo V8 with cylinder deactivation system in the S 560 4-Matic delivers 469 hp and 700 Nm. In the S 63 AMG 4-Matic +, the four-liter V8-Biturbo replaces the old 5.5-liter eight-cylinder, and offers 612 hp. New in the AMG-S-Class is also the nine-speed automatic. Top model remains the V12 S 65 with 630 hp and 1.000 Nm. In the S 350 d 4Matic and S 400 d 4Matic models, the new in-line six-cylinder diesel makes its debut in two power levels with 286 hp and 600 Nm as well as 340 hp and 700 Nm.
New six-cylinder with electric auxiliary compressor for the Mercedes S-Class
The new straight-six-cylinder petrol engines also have an integrated starter generator as well as an electrically driven belt chain and compressor. A plug-in hybrid with around 50 kilometers of electrical range will later be available. For the first time, the 48-volt electrical system is introduced and starter generators replace the conventional alternator and the starter. Mercedes promises 408 hp and 500 Nm of torque for the petrol engines.
Assistance systems can do more now
The new Mercedes S-Class will also be launched with a greatly expanded range of driving assistance systems. Equipped with improved camera and radar systems, the new S-Class can look up to 250 meters in the front and monitor the traffic environment much better. The new features include an active distance assistant and an active steering assistant. For curves, roundabouts or intersections, the speed is automatically adjusted. The system is controlled by camera and navigation data. The distance assistant works in the speed range from 0 to a maximum of 210 km / h, not only keeping the distance to the car in front, but also keeping lanes automatically.
The new driving assistance package includes the following functions:
-The Distronic active distance assistant uses significantly more map and navigation data and can support the driver in a variety of situations on a route-based basis and adjust the speed comfortably.
-The Active Steering Assistant has been significantly improved in its overall performance.
-The Active Lane Change Assistant has been significantly improved. All you need to do is to press the turn signal to start the lane change. Within the next ten seconds, this is carried out with the corresponding display in the instrument cluster, if the sensor system has not detected any vehicles in the relevant safety area.
-The Active Emergency Assist system brakes the vehicle down to a standstill when the system detects that the driver does not intervene during the drive with the Active Steering Assistant.
-Stopping: In Stop & Go traffic on motorways and highway-like roads, stops are now possible up to 30 seconds, within which the S-Class automatically starts again and follows the preceding traffic (in conjunction with Active Park Assistant).
-Traffic sign assistant: Through the image recognition and information of the digital road map of the navigation system the permissible maximum speed and possibly valid overtaking bans for the current section of the route are displayed. The driven speed is compared with the permissible maximum speed. When the driver is appropriately speeding, the overshoot is signaled by an optical / visual-acoustic warning signal. In addition, one-way prohibitions are detected. Furthermore, a warning is issued in the area of pedestrian crossings.
-The Remote Park Assistant allows the driver, depending on the respective road traffic regulations, to route the vehicle from the outside of the car in the case of narrow parking gaps or garages via a smartphone so that easy entry and exit is possible. The vehicle can be parked forwards and backwards in longitudinal and transverse parking gaps. Parking from transverse parking spaces is also possible, e.g.In the Explore mode, the vehicle can be maneuvered forward or backwards up to 15 meters, while at the same time avoiding obstacles that have been detected with minor steering corrections.
-The Magic Body Control suspension is extended by the Curve function. This allows the cameras not only to recognize grounding waves, but also curves and tilt the body up to 2.65 ° to the curve interior.
New S-Class from 84.639 Euro
The new Mercedes S-Class can be ordered from this week, and it will be rolled out to German and European distributors starting July 22nd. The prices for the new Mercedes S-Class start from 84,639 euros for the S 350 d in Germany. Its all-wheel drive version S 350 d 4Matic is available from 88.447 Euro (long wheelbase starting from 87.911 and 91.719 Euro for the 4Matic). The S 400 d starts at 89.399 Euro, the 4Matic variant costs 93.207 Euro (long wheelbase 92.671 Euro and 96.497 Euro for the 4Matic). If you are looking for the S 450, you must invest at least 92,255 Euro. With all-wheel-drive, the same motor can be ordered from 96.063 euros – the long version from 95.884 euros, the long four-wheel drive from 99.692 euros. For the S 500, the price list starts at 102,560 Euro (long version: 105,345 Euro). The S 560 costs at least 110.152 Euro, the 4Matic version at least 113.960 Euro (long wheelbase from 113.187 Euro, 116.995 Euro for the 4Matic) and the model AMG S 63 4Matic, which is only available in the long version, starts at 160.293 Euro. The S 600 is also only available in the long version. Here the price list calls a basic price of 165.951 euros. The top model is the long AMG S 65, available from 237.346 euros. And the Maybach? This is only available in 560 format and costs 143.508 Euro. The Maybach version will not be delivered until the fourth quarter of 2017 at the earliest.
Source: Auto-motor-und-sport.de
A nice update to a beautiful car.