Mercedes-Benz India has launched the S350 CDI L in India, finally bringing in a diesel option for prospective buyers of the new S.
Having a luxury car and the badge is of utmost importance to many buyers and having a lot of horsepower doesn’t really feature on many checklists. Mercedes are more than aware of this, and, with the new diesel, they’ve addressed a shortcoming of the previous S350 CDI.
The turbo-diesel in the new S350 CDI is still the 3.0-litre V6, but instead of 210 PS and 490 Nm, you now have a heftier 258 PS and 620 Nm, more than enough go for the 2,132 kg. The 7G-Tronic automatic transmission drives the rear wheels. That means it wafts along just like the old car (remember, no Magic Body Control) albeit in an even more comfortable manner, but the real difference comes in the way it goes. Mercedes-Benz claim a 0-100 km/h time of 6.8 seconds. Not bad for a two-tonne plus diesel luxury limo.
The 350 CDI version of the S-Class features all of the goodies that the 500 has on offer, save for a few unique bits. The most noticeable are the 18” wheels with 245/50 R18 tyres. Inside, the front seats don’t have the memory package while the NightView Assist, Keyless Go with Hands-free Boot Operation and the 360º Surround Camera are absent in the diesel model specification.
The S350 CDI L is being produced at the company’s facility at Chakan in Maharashtra; the first time the S has had its body manufactured here. Thus, the pricing is quite competitive too. How does Rs 1.07 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi) sound to you if you were in the market for, say a Jaguar XJ L, BMW 7 Series or Audi A8 L? Not too bad, I would imagine.
Story: Jim Gorde
