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Thursday, May 16, 2013
Daimler hasn’t ever claimed its S-class sedan is "the best car in the world"—that was the prerogative of Rolls-Royce. But by any objective standard, it was the S-class that ruled for decades. This hegemony was seriously challenged in 1986 when BMW introduced the second-generation 7-series, and again in 1989 with the Lexus LS, which bested its contemporary S-class in several areas. Ultimately, Daimler added Maybach to its portfolio, implying that there is, actually, something better than the S-class. Alas, Maybach is history, but Benz has an all-new S-class and, while we’ll reserve final judgment until we drive it, we believe Daimler has every reason to describe its new luxury sedan as effortlessly superior.
For both rear- and all-wheel-drive V-8–powered S550s, Mercedes claims the 0-to-60 sprint will take 4.8 seconds. Top speed is governed at 130 mph, which is 25 mph down on the governor set for European models. No U.S.-market fuel-economy figures are available yet; in Europe, the S550 is rated at an excellent, albeit inflated, 27.4 mpg.
The multi-link Airmatic air suspension has been entirely redesigned, and it can be fitted with a road-sensing system that pre-loads the shocks for the road surface detected. It works at speeds up to 80 mph, and has provided remarkable results in a prototype setup we drove two years ago. The S-class now comes with electro-mechanical steering, a technology we have made peace with on several occasions. But while the chassis will allow for high cornering speeds, the main focuses of the S are luxury and safety.
In fact, the occupants of the S-class will travel in what Mercedes describes as "splendid isolation," guarded from noise, vibration, and other intrusions. The interior—which we sampled a couple of months ago—is equipped with a plethora of comfort and luxury systems, and the options sheet makes that of the old Maybach look rather limited. An energizing hot-stone massage, a fragrance system, or a five-theme interior-illumination system emphasize this sedan's claim to provide more luxury than anyone else in this prestigious segment. For the audio system, Daimler has enlisted the help of Dieter Burmester of Porsche and Bugatti fame. His high-end home stereo systems are well known in the German-speaking world; with the new S-class, this familiarity is likely to spread.
Thanks to: Car and Driver
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