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Be ahead: the new Mercedes-Benz
S-Class
Superlative in design and
technology Stuttgart : Generation-change
at the pinnacle of automotive engineering: Mercedes-Benz presents the new
S-Class. The new luxury saloon will be appearing in the showrooms of
company-owned outlets and authorised dealerships as of autumn 2005.
As in the preceding series, the
new S-Class will introduce technical innovations which make the flagship
Mercedes model an example for others to follow. Pioneering safety features
and exemplary comfort continue to be the outstanding attributes of the
S-Class. The new saloon also sets standards in driving dynamics with its
agile handling, while offering even more driving pleasure with new, more
powerful engines. The new S-Class is replacing a model series which is the
world No. 1 in the luxury class, and of which around 485,000 have been
produced since 1998.
For more than five decades, the
letter "S" in the model designation of Mercedes cars has signified a special
aura, intelligent technology and the highest quality. The new S-Class not
only continues this tradition, but lends a new meaning to it. It is a
technological pacemaker with its pioneering innovations for more safety,
comfort and practicality, and like its predecessors it will influence the
automotive development of the future. The saloon exudes this poise and
assurance even at first glance. Its design emphasises the confident,
powerful and elegant character of the new S-Class, which makes every journey
an experience.
Achieving even more technological
highlights was a challenge for the engineers in Stuttgart and Sindelfingen,
for the bar was set very high: the previous S-Class, which had been
repeatedly voted the "Best Car in the World" since its presentation in 1998,
was a hard act to follow. The progress Mercedes-Benz has made with the new
saloon is based on this already high level. A dozen technical innovations
are entering series production for the first time on board the new
S-Class : from Brake Assist PLUS with radar sensors to seats with an
extended massage function, from the night view assist system with the latest
infra-red technology to the new COMAND system, and from preventive PRE-SAFE
occupant protection with additional functions to Parking Assist.
Safety: Brake Assist with radar and latest-generation PRE-SAFE
In the field of vehicle safety,
Mercedes-Benz is redoubling its commitment to accident prevention with the
preventive system Brake Assist PLUS. This system registers vehicles
ahead by radar and gives a warning if the gap is too small or the closing
speed is too high. If a collision threatens, Brake Assist PLUS calculates
the ideal braking assistance in fractions of a second and makes this
available immediately : even if the driver applies too little pressure to
the brake pedal. This significantly reduces the incidence of rear-end
collisions. The adaptive brake light, which warns following traffic by
flashing during emergency braking, also makes a major contribution.
Mercedes-Benz combines Brake
Assist PLUS with the equally unique occupant protection system PRE-SAFE,
which offers even more safety functions on board the new S-Class. PRE-SAFE
recognises potential accident situations as they arise: if braking
deceleration exceeds a certain level or a skid is imminent, the system
tensions the front seat belts as a precaution and inflates air cushions in
the multicontour seats to envelop and support the driver, front passenger
and rear seat occupants. For the first time Mercedes-Benz has also
integrated the side windows into this preventive protection system; they are
automatically closed when an accident threatens.
This combination of the new Brake
Assist PLUS system and PRE-SAFE is a further enhancement to
occupant protection. Mercedes-Benz is the world's first and only vehicle
brand with a comprehensive safety system of this kind, which already goes
into action before an impending accident.
Support systems: DISTRONIC PLUS
and the new night view assist
Brake Assist PLUS is available in
combination with the likewise improved proximity control system DISTRONIC
PLUS. This radar-supported system now operates at all speeds between
zero and 200 km/h, and ensures even greater driver comfort. In stop-and-go
traffic DISTRONIC PLUS keeps the new S-Class at the right distance from the
vehicle ahead, automatically brakes the saloon to a standstill if necessary
and accelerates it back to the required speed when the traffic starts moving
again. In this way the support system reduces the driver's workload and
provides considerable benefits in driver-fitness safety.
The equipment package with Brake
Assist PLUS and DISTRONIC PLUS also includes a new Parking Assist
system which likewise uses radar sensors. These have a longer range than
ultrasonic signals, therefore the driver receives earlier warning of an
impending collision when reversing into a parking space.
With the
innovative night view assist system which is premiered in the new
S-Class, Mercedes-Benz has made a further, major contribution to reducing
the risk of accidents during the hours of darkness. This system is based on
infra-red light, which is invisible to the human eye and will therefore not
dazzle oncoming traffic. Two infra-red headlamps illuminate the road,
extending the driver's range of vision to more than 150 metres when on low
beam. Night view assist therefore makes pedestrians, cyclists, parked cars
and other obstacles visible very much sooner. An infra-red camera mounted on
the inside of the windscreen records the reflected image of the road ahead
and displays this in the instrument cluster.
Dimensions: larger, more comfortable and even more
luxurious
The new flagship model by
Mercedes-Benz is larger than its predecessor in every respect. There is a
choice of two body lengths -- 5076 or 5206 millimetres : which is 33 and 43
millimetres, respectively, more than the previous S-Class. The wheelbase
has increased by 70/80 millimetres to 3035 and 3165 millimetres,
respectively. The body is also 16 millimetres wider and 29 millimetres
higher than before.
These new dimensions create the
conditions for an interior concept which provides every single passenger
with first-class comfort. Interior parameters such as shoulder-room and
elbow-room have increased by up to 39 millimetres, while headroom has again
improved by up to five millimetres. Rear seat passengers in the
long-wheelbase version benefit from a greater distance between the seats
(+ 10 mm) and more knee-room (+ 11 mm) compared to the preceding series. The
capacity of the boot has increased by 60 litres to 560 litres (VDA measuring
method).
Luxurious exotic wood and chrome
trim, attractively contoured controls in aluminium and carefully coordinated
colours characterise the atmosphere in the interior, producing an immediate
feeling of wellbeing. The dashboard with its sophisticated, sweeping lines
is yet another masterpiece by Mercedes designers, for whom form and function
are ideals which share equal status. Accordingly the cockpit not only
conveys a feeling of safety, but is also extraordinarily well laid-out and
practical : from the very first moment, man and vehicle enter into a
harmonious relationship in the new S-Class.
Operating concept: colour
displays, direct-selection switches and COMAND controller
That is also assured by the newly
developed and thoroughly tested operating concept. This is based on
findings from extensive ergonomic and perceptive psychology studies, and
also takes into account the results of acceptance tests with Mercedes
customers around the world.
The major characteristic of the
intelligent operating concept in the new
S-Class is rapid access to functions which are used particularly frequently.
The system is therefore specifically designed for redundancy: depending on
his preferred habits, the driver is able to control functions such as the
radio,
TV-receiver, CD/DVD changer, telephone and navigation system either using
conventional switches, via buttons on the multifunction steering wheel or
with the help of the improved COMAND system. The direct-selection
switches in the centre console are so ergonomically positioned that the
driver is able to operate them conveniently and without looking down. It is
also possible to operate the standard automatic climate control system in
two different ways: via COMAND or using an attractively styled array of
switches beneath the air vents.
The steering wheel and
instrument cluster are the primary areas in the new operating concept.
These integrate all the important information and functions required by the
driver. The centrepiece is a colour screen with the latest display
technology for a bright, crystal-clear image. The lower edge of the cockpit
display has a plain-text array with which up to seven main menus for
individual settings, display modes and operating functions can be
controlled, depending on the level of equipment. For rapid selection of
these functions Mercedes-Benz has developed the controls on the standard
multifunction steering wheel further, using circular, illuminated
five-way buttons which the driver operates by light thumb pressure.
Another new feature which improves
operating convenience and allows a modern cockpit design is DIRECT SELECT
: electronic control of the standard
7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission by nudging an attractively
styled lever on the right of the steering column. Thanks to this technology,
Mercedes engineers were able to dispense with the usual selector lever on
the centre console and redesign the tunnel covering.
The innovative "Cockpit Management
and Data System" -- COMAND for short : has likewise been redesigned
and now offers even more features. In addition to the familiar telematics
and audio units, various vehicle functions which previously required
individual switches have now been integrated into the system. The central
operating unit is the new COMAND controller on the transmission
tunnel. It is used to select the main and sub-menus with which the required
functions are activated. If a car phone is fitted ex factory, the padded
handrest behind the controller can be flipped up to reveal the telephone
keypad.
The large COMAND colour display
is positioned at the same height as the instrument cluster, and therefore
even more favourably within the field of vision of the driver and front
passenger. A new operating concept, up-to-date colours and clear,
photo-quality graphics also make the menu selection procedure a gratifying
visual experience.
The COMAND system in the new
S-Class includes a radio, CD/DVD player and a port for computer memory cards
(PCMCIA cards) as standard. On request Mercedes-Benz will equip COMAND with
a Europe-wide navigation system whose data are now stored on a hard drive.
This allows even faster route calculation than before.
Comfort: new seats with a
massage function and air suspension as standard
Mercedes customers are able to
adapt the newly developed seats in the new
S-Class to suit their personal comfort requirements. Electrically
adjustable,
16-way front seats with lumbar supports are standard equipment. There is
also an optional choice of luxury seats with heating and ventilation,
multicontour seats (front and rear) and dynamic multicontour seats (front)
whose squab and backrest contours adapt to the relevant driving situation to
provide the best possible lateral support at all times.
The dynamic multicontour seat
is also equipped with separate air chambers in the backrest which are
successively inflated and deflated at the touch of a button, massaging the
back muscles for the wellbeing of its occupant. The intensity and speed of
the massage function can be adjusted in four stages by means of the
COMAND system.
The
suspension with its standard, improved AIRMATIC air suspension system
also makes a major contribution to the excellent ride comfort in the new
S-Class. At the touch of a button the driver is able to choose between a
comfort-oriented or more sporty configuration. Beyond 120 km/h and in Sport
mode, the suspension is automatically lowered by up to 20 millimetres to
improve the handling dynamics, aerodynamics and fuel consumption even
further.
The
Active Body Control suspension system (optional, standard equipment in
the S 600) is a further milestone in suspension engineering which has been
improved even further for the new S-Class.
The newly
developed braking system ADAPTIVE BRAKE has additional functions
which for example assist the driver when moving off on gradients and shorten
braking distances in the wet. The parking brake is electrically
assisted for the first time : the brake is applied merely by pressing a
button, and is released automatically when the car moves off.
Performance: over 26 percent more output from the new V8 engine
Three of
the four engines available for the new S-Class are new developments by
Mercedes-Benz. They generate up to 26 percent more output and up to 15
percent more torque. In addition to the 3.5-litre V6 engine with 200
kW/272 hp, a new eight-cylinder unit developing 285 kW/388 hp and a
muscular 530 Newton metres of torque from a mere 2800 rpm upwards will
already be available at the time of the market launch in autumn 2005. It
accelerates the S 500 from standstill to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds.
From the
first quarter of 2006 Mercedes-Benz will be extending the range of engines
for the S-Class with the new V6 CDI engine, which has a particulate
filter as standard in certain countries. This direct-injection unit has an
output of 170 kW/231 hp and generates a maximum torque of 540 Newton metres
from 1600 rpm. This means that the new S 320 CDI betters the preceding model
by 13 percent in output and eight percent in torque.
The output
of the twelve-cylinder engine in the top-of-the-range S 600
(available from the first quarter of 2006) has increased to 380 kW/517 hp,
while torque has increased by just under four percent to a remarkable 830
Newton metres from 1900 rpm.
As
standard equipment, the V6 and V8 engines for the new S-Class are combined
with the unique seven-speed automatic transmission 7G-TRONIC.
Success: number one in the luxury class
The new S-Class is replacing a
successful series which has captured the top end of this market segment in
every region of the world. Even in its last year of production the flagship
saloon by Mercedes-Benz is the worldwide market leader among the world's
luxury saloons, with around 17,000 units sold (as of May 2005).
Accolades achieved by the previous S-Class include around four dozen prizes
and awards in international competitions, with numerous titles such as "Best
Car", "Most Innovative Saloon", "Highest Design Quality" or "World's Finest
Car".
The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class at a glance
Model range
S 350:
200 kW/272 hp
S 500:
285 kW/388 hp
S 320 CDI:
170 kW/231 hp (from first quarter 2006)
S 600:
380 kW/ 517 hp (from first quarter 2006)
Dimensions
(compared to preceding series)
Vehicle
length: 5076/5206 mm = + 33/43 mm
Vehicle
width: 1871 mm = + 16 mm
Vehicle
height: 1473 mm = + 29 mm
Wheelbase: 3035/3165 mm = +70/80 mm
Innovations
ADAPTIVE BRAKE with
additional functions
Adaptive
brake light
Brake
Assist PLUS with radar sensors
COMAND
with and COMAND controller
Crash-responsive high-comfort head restraints
DISTRONIC
PLUS
Electric
parking brake
Dynamic
multicontour seat with new massage
function
Night view
assist based on infra-red technology
Panoramic
sliding roof (for long-wheelbase version)
Second-generation PRE-SAFE
Reversing
camera
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