With the redesigned 2021 S-Class, Mercedes-Benz moves all
its safety and infotainment pieces forward on the chess board where it plays
against the BMW 7-Series, along with the Audi A8 and Porsche Panamera.
Arriving next spring with a starting price of $110,850,
including destination, the 2021 S-Class will also adapt new mild-hybrid
powertrains as well as a fusillade of driver-assistance improvements, not to
mention an array of portrait-style touchscreens and digital
displays.
The new S-Class’ styling carefully modulates its look with
more subtle strakes and lines all around its body. The grille flows into the
hood more gradually, from between slimmer headlights. The roofline is
strikingly similar, but the surfaces down the S-Class’ side have more muted
creases and curves. Hidden door handles extend from the body; the Aston Martin
technology exchange goes both ways after all. Shallower diamond-framed
taillights replace blocky, tall units on the prior version of the big Benz.
It’s a preview of sorts of the upcoming
electric Mercedes EQS sedan.
Buyers looking for a sportier look can add a Mercedes-Benz
AMG styling pack with blacked-out trim and sports wheels for an additional
$4,300. AMG is also working on its own version of the new S-Class, due
in about a year.
For radical change, the S-Class welcomes passengers inside.
The wavelike
forms and undulating surfaces have been ironed flat and squared off,
to build a new environment for the driver and front passenger. It’s an interior
dominated by cool surfaces and digital displays, composed of rectangular
screens and vents that play off the dramatically simplified dash shape. Those
screens warm up the cabin or cool it down visually; they can cycle through a
range of color schemes and schemas including “Discreet,” which gives a choice
of seven colors, or “Sporty” which is of course red, or “Exclusive” pearl
and “Classic” white.
Two models will be available at launch, both of them with
standard all-wheel drive. The base model is an S500 4Matic with a 3.0-liter
turbo-6, an inline engine with mild-hybrid 21-hp and 184-pound-feet boost
applied to the gas engine’s 429 hp and 384 lb-ft. The power issues from a
9-speed automatic. No 0-60 mph acceleration times have been released, but the
S500 will reach a 130-mph top speed.
Above this is an S580 4Matic which adopts a twin-turbo V-8
with 496 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, and the same boost of mild-hybrid power.
No 0-60 mph times are yet published either, but the same 130-mph top end has
been confirmed.
Drive modes enable powertrain personalities from Eco to
Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Individual, and those modes select suspension
behavior, too. In addition to its new mild-hybrid powertrains, the 2021 S-Class
gets a revamped chassis with a wider track—by as much as two inches—for better
stability. It’s fitted with standard rear-axle steering that cuts turning
radius up to 7.0 feet, by canting wheels in the opposite direction of the
fronts by up to 4.5 degrees or by up to 10 degrees, depending on the model. An
air suspension is standard, and can lower the car up to 0.7 inches for lower
drag and raise it by 1.2 inches for slightly better clearance.
2021
Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Coming soon: an active suspension system that will enable a
degree of individual wheel control for damping in corners and over obstacles.
It’s accomplished with hydraulic dampers and enabled by the 48-volt mild-hybrid
system.
The S-Class arrives stretched a bit in almost all
directions. It’s 208.3 inches long (up from 206.9 inches), 59.2 inches tall (up
from 58.8 inches), and has a 126.6-inch wheelbase (versus 124.6 inches). That
translates into 0.6 inches more front-seat head room, an inch more in rear-seat
leg room, and a larger trunk that’s up to 19.0 cubic feet. Seating ranges from
plush to lavish, with multi-contour massaging seats available in four seating
positions, with all kinds of shiatsu and Swedish and other modalities, heating,
cooling, reclining, etc. It’s a car that can do hot yoga or cool-down laps
while you drive.
A set of speedy new processors enables more sophisticated
driver-assistance systems. The gamut of S-Class technology bundles adaptive
cruise control with speed limiting based on route; stop and go functionality up
to 35 mph; active lane control with emergency-stop and lane-change assist;
active brake assistance that can prevent turning into oncoming traffic; active
blind-spot monitors with brake support and vehicle-exit support; active park
assistance; and warnings for approaching stop signs and traffic lights. There’s
also an available rear-seat airbag system.
Mercedes says it will begin to implement Level 3 autonomous
driving in Germany soon, and that the new S-Class comes with the hardware to
enable Level 4 autonomy—but all implementation is subject to local law. In the
U.S., where mounting even a minimally effective public-health campaign is next
to impossible, Level 4 autonomy is at least one Presidential administration
away from becoming reality.
The extra brain power enables more complex infotainment
offerings as well. The S-Class sports a 12.3-inch digital display for gauges,
and a 12.8-inch portrait-style touchscreen for the center display. Up to five
screens can be fitted to the car, including twin rear-seat tablets for
entertainment and a 7.0-inch rear screen for vehicle functions, intertwined
with the MBUX infotainment system. Fingerprint sensors can authenticate a
driver’s user profile and enable digital payments from inside the car, all of
which can be set by Mercedes’ app and used to reset vehicle settings before
entering the car. Voice commands are recognized more easily, Mercedes promises,
and LED lighting in the cabin can respond to those commands to signal
acceptance.
On a purer note of pleasure, the S-Class’ new Burmester
surround-sound system can pump jams through 30 speakers with up to 1,750 watts
of power. Speakers can be tuned to the needs of different passengers; one can
whisper navigation commands in the driver’s ear while another can amplify a
deep bass groove for another through the seat cushions.
When the S-Class shows up in showrooms next year, it will
come standard with all-wheel drive. The 2021 S500 gets standard navigation,
keyless start, LED adaptive headlights, multi-contour front seats, leather
upholstery, wireless smartphone charging, Apple CarPlay and Android auto
wireless compatibility, an air ionizer with fragrance dispenser, a
surround-view camera system with a 3D view for parking, soft-close doors, six
USB-C ports, a Burmester surround sound, a panoramic sunroof, rear-wheel
steering, and 19-inch wheels.
Options include a heated steering wheel, heated armrests,
nappa leather, 20-inch wheels, an augmented-reality head-up display. An
executive package on the S580 includes multi-contour rear seats, rear-seat
airbags and belt airbags, rear-seat tablet, rear-seat wireless smartphone
charging, twin 11.6-inch screens, and higher-capacity rear-wheel steering. This
option alone costs a hefty $15,150.
Bookmark this URL as we’ll soon bring you our first drive
review of the 2021 S-Class. You can also head to The Car
Connection for in-depth reviews on the S-Class.
source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1129467_2021-mercedes-benz-s-class-price-specs-review-photos-info
by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com
