The new S-Class has landed, enjoying a spectacular world premiere at the Airbus headquarters in Hamburg. Remaining faithful to tradition, the new model is brimming with high-tech features.
Designated the W222, the latest generation of Mercedes’ flagship saloon promises to be the safest, most luxurious and most intelligent S-Class of all time. Building on the still-impressive feature roster of the previous model, the new car scans the roads and surroundings ahead using numerous cameras – automatically adjusting the damping and lighting to suit. Tick the right boxes on the options list and you could allow the adaptive cruise control to keep an eye on things while your seat mimics a hot-stone massage.
A strong emphasis has been placed on rear-seat comfort (hence features such as seatbelt holsters that ‘greet’ you); all the more necessary since the W222 will effectively also be replacing the Maybach line. Five bodystyles are scheduled, with coupé, cabriolet and extra-long-wheelbase variants joining the existing standard and long-wheelbase models.
At launch, engines will range from an electrically assisted 2.1-litre four-cylinder diesel (S300 BlueTEC Hybrid) to the 4.7-litre V8 of the S500. Following soon afterwards will be the S63 (twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8) and S65 (6.0-litre V12) AMG versions; 2014 will see the arrival of an S600, as well as a Plug-In Hybrid S500 capable of attaining up to 70.6mpg.
Drivers will be able to get behind the two-spoked wheel of the W222 S-Class from September, with prices starting at around £68,000.
| Related Links Many different generations of the S-Class can be found in the Classic Driver Marketplace |
Text: Jan Richter Classic Driver
Photos: Mercedes-Benz
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