Mercedes Benz S Class
On sale 16th March 2006

As I took the corner, part of the luxurious leather covered seat pushed forward, supporting and holding my side, then subsided as I straightened up, protruding forward on the other side as the momentum took me sideways. Like a huge cushioned glove, it held and propped up parts that no other seat could reach and all within a fraction of a second. At first a novelty, after a while it became an intrusion and I was glad I could switch it off.

The multicontour seat is just one of the new technological innovations which owners of the new S Class saloon may well enjoy.

Mercedes has always pioneered new technologies, new levels of luxury and safety innovations in its stately limousine and the new S class has already won the title of ‘2006’s Best Luxury Car’ by motoring magazine ‘What Car’.

The car that has always been most favoured by world leaders, will have two wheelbases, one which has an extra 70mm in length, for those who prefer to stretch out their legs in the back seat and be chauffeured. And of course, what better way to pamper the chauffeur than to provide the optional vibrating and massaging seat, which features active ventilation and eleven air chambers which successively inflate and deflate.

Pure hedonism are apt words to describe the luxurious interior. The exterior however is quite understated, but nevertheless with beautiful styling and it has a dominant presence on the road. There are many features which would probably take a lifetime of ownership to discover. Some are for pure pleasure and others are safety enhancements. I found that just starting up and setting out on a journey required lots of thought. There are many switches, dials and buttons, but the often used ones are quickly to hand.

Mercedes has introduced a lot of new technology to the S class, which with use the owner may wonder how they ever did without. The optional Night View Assist, costs £1,200, and uses two infra red lights to ‘illuminate’ the road ahead, which can be seen by a special camera mounted in the windscreen. The information is displayed as a greyscale image on to the dashboard. So you have to take your eyes off the road to look down, behind the steering wheel, at the display. It is tempting to forget to look up again and to use the display showing the road ahead, to drive.

To make things more involved, the S class has a steering column gearshift. I remember older cars having this feature, but for someone a little younger than I, it will be something else, which is new and has to be learnt. The parking brake is operated by pushing or pulling a button on the dashboard.

The braking system on the new S Class shows off another new development reaching production for the first time. Adaptive Brake includes a hold function, which allows the car to be held in place by the brake, regardless of whether the driver keeps their foot on the brake pedal. There is a myriad range of other braking safety functions.

Mercedes Benz says that a lot of the new technology is happening automatically. In fact the company states that a recent survey showed that drivers heart rates were 6% lower when driving an S Class, proving they were less stressed.

I have to agree that the ride is extremely comfortable. The engines are so quiet in motion that I found I could whisper and still be heard.

There will be four powerplants at launch, three petrol and one diesel, everyone improved or new, offering 26% more power and 15% more torque. The 5.5 litre V8 in the S500 is a brand new unit and one of the most powerful engines in its class, with an acceleration from 0-62mph in 5.4 seconds. A sporty AMG will arrive in the Summer.

The care which has gone into the design and construction of the new S class has earned it a prestigious environmental award. It is the first car in the world to receive recognition for being developed in an environmentally conscious way, meeting international standards.

With its emphasis on comfort, safety and new technology, the new S Class, which goes on sale on 16th March, ensures that anyone who climbs inside will feel relaxed, and life will definitely be easier for the driver. If not so easy on the pocket. The S class starts from £54,975 and is £4000 extra for the long wheelbase version.

By Sue Cooke