The on-paper specifications of the new S-Class are impressive, as we would expect from such an expensive flagship car, but this car is even more of a revelation in person. It's as if someone at Mercedes-Benz was given free rein to dream what a luxury car should be, and the execs signed off without a second thought. And why wouldn't they? With the Maybach brand gone, Mercedes-Benz can push the S-Class into the luxury stratosphere and aim to compete with Bentley and Rolls-Royce at bargain pricing (that's a relative term, we realize).
The 2014 S550 is the first car in history to be completely illuminated inside and out with LEDs, with the headlights sporting 56 LED bulbs each.
The S-Class almost drives itself. A sensor package relying on a stereo camera and radar constantly monitors what is going on around the car and automatically engages the updated Driver Assistance Package features when necessary.
It seems like there's a trademarked name on every part of the car. Magic Vision Control, first featured in last year's SL, cleans the front windshield via water guides in the wipers, eliminating that traditional blast of washer fluid that typically leaves the rest of your car a mess. The S-Class even has a seat massage function based on the hot-stone principle with heat integrated into the massage program.
Then there's the optional Magic Body Control. (Yes, you read that right. It's a good thing Mercedes-Benz isn't egotistical about its new creation.) Using the aforementioned stereo camera, it performs road-surface scans 49 feet ahead of the car and automatically adjusts suspension damping at each individual wheel?when the visibility is good. With these adjustments happening in fractions of a second, Mercedes-Benz says, the S-Class delivers epic driving comfort whether you're behind the wheel or in the back seat. Needless to say, we're looking forward to putting this new system to the test on some less-than-forgiving roads.
Inside, things look more Bentley than Mercedes-Benz, with circular metal air vents and a two-spoke plush leather and wood steering wheel with "Mercedes-Benz" in cursive on the bottom. There aren't a lot of buttons, as much of that duty has been migrated to the twin 12.3-inch LCD screens mounted front and center.
The S550 and 550 4MATIC still feature a direct injected, twin-turbocharged V-8. Mercedes' power-hungry engineers apparently decided that 429 hp just wasn't enough, so they upped it another 26 to 455 hp total. Torque stays at a mighty 516 lb-ft. Expect to zip to 60 mph in around 4.8 seconds.
The S550 (in long wheelbase form, the only one we see in the U.S.) is exactly the same length as its predecessor and 1.1 inches wider. It's a hair taller too. The new car is said to be a lot safer, with features including seat-cushion and seatbelt airbags, and even a system that uses the seatbelts to pull front-seat occupants away from the direction of impact.
The 2014 S-Class raises the bar on the luxury sedan to heights that seemed unattainable even a few years ago. You can expect to see the S550 at dealers by September with the S550 4MATIC to follow in November, just in time to roll in style for the holiday season. Launching alongside the S550 4MATIC will be the S63 AMG 4MATIC, with more drivetrains to follow in 2014. Mercedes has told us that one of those drivetrains will definitely be a plug-in hybrid.
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