This is by far the happiest moment of my life. I’m at a beautiful stud farm and parked in front of me are the Mercedes S500L, BMW 750Li and the recently launched Audi A8 4.2 FSI, all at my disposal. Life seems picture perfect
Story Sarmad Kadiri
Photography Sanjay Raikar
Power, security and luxury are foremost among the things that successful people around the world desire. Obviously, they don’t come cheap, but then who cares about the price in this segment of cars? The top three most popular luxosedans happen to be from the same nation that produced Boris Becker and, like the tennis star, they are athletic, agile and champions of the game. Another reason for their popularity is that they never fail to ignite grudging admiration in others. These are the flagship models and probably the world’s best cars as the manufacturers make it a point to offer the best of every automobile aspect possible with oodles of luxury, safety, performance, comfort and technology.
For Mercedes it is the S-Class, BMW have the 7 Series and Audi the A8. The above mentioned luxury saloon are available in the long-wheelbase version in India, so that the Bears and Bulls, tycoons and dignitaries flock the swanky German car showrooms in the metropolises to own a more lavish personal transport than their counterparts in other countries. All of the cars mentioned above live up to these expectations and would not disappoint their owner. But, of course, there are distinctions and that’s exactly the purpose of this article.
By the look of it
The oldest of the luxosedans is the Mercedes S-Class, which was launched about four years ago. Aimed at a more mature clientèle, it has an elegant design right down to the smallest detail, never trying to look ultra-modern or space-age. Take, for instance, the old-school type flared front fenders, which require an acquired taste to appreciate. The design has been given a master’s tweak and now it is characterised by the more pronounced arrow shape of the radiator grille, more contoured front bumper and a chrome strip below the cooling air intakes. Though the headlights are bi-xenon, Mercedes have added LEDs indicators and driving lights at the front end and horizontal white tail-lights in keeping with the current trend. The designs have been an inspiration for several aspiring designers over the years and some of these ‘inspirations’ are also visible in a few Korean luxury cars. The current S-Class is nearing its shelf-life and is due for a ramp-up in 2012. Having said that, the ‘S’ has aged gracefully and the classic design still appeals to Mercedes buyers.
The BMW 7 Series was introduced in 2009 and it seems that the engineers wanted to create a modern car design, yet remain minimalistic and true to BMW styling. Unfortunately, the combination does not work well. Beemers are such sporty cars to drive and the energy should be reflected in the design, whereas the new 7 appears to be dull compared to its predecessors. When BMW launched the smaller sedan – the new 5 Series – it resembled the Seven a bit too much. However, the long version of the 7 Series is 14 centimetres longer than the short version and all of this is used to increase space and comfort in the rear.
Coming to the Audi now, the A8 is being officially launched as I write this report and arguably has an advantage of being the latest and, perhaps, the more modern car of the three. It is the most sophisticated executive sedan Audi have ever produced. From the outside, the 2011 A8 is clearly carved out of the four-ringed block. The corporate grille is in full glory as the metro-sexual goatee has now grown into a macho mini-beard. The styling is razor-sharp and cutting-edge and you can almost sense the energy in the design. The new Audi has grown in size and now has the largest external dimension as it is longer and wider than the other two cars, but doesn’t appear the size due to some smart design elements such as squared-off four corners and a dark panoramic sunroof. The most distinctive aspect of the new Audi A8 are the LED headlamps that can adjust the depth of their beams depending on the proximity of oncoming traffic, a first in any luxury car ever introduced in India. The festival of LED lights becomes a delightfully sinister sight after dark, making the new A8 the snazziest of the three executive saloons.
The lion’s den
The interior of these cars is, perhaps, one of the more crucial aspects that buyers of this segment scrutinise in minute detail. So, let’s get into some number crunching to find out which one of these offer the best room. The Audi, at 5,267 mm, is the longest when it comes to overall length, which is 41 mm longer that Mercedes and 55 mm more than the Beemer. When it comes to the wheelbase, the BMW has an edge over the others and the Mercedes emerges as the tallest of the three. The long-wheelbase version in all the three cars has noticeably bigger rear doors, making getting in or out relatively easy. The interior space is well carved out and there is no dearth of headroom even if you don a massive turban. Or any other kind of room, for that matter.
Just by looking at the three gear lever one can imagine how vastly different are the design philosophies that define each of the three cars. The BMW has a sporty joystick-style selector, while the Benz has a petite steering shift and the Audi has reshaped the gear lever that now resembles a yacht throttle lever which acts like a rest for the driver’s wrist, making it convenient to reach the control array. The new A8 cabin moves up a style notch and is more contemporary than the competition. The gunwale that sweeps around the dash and into the doors resembles that of an upmarket yacht. The rest of the dash sits elegantly a couple of inches below, making the interior more roomy. The build and choice of material are impeccable. You can adjust the supportive leather seats to about any personal dimension thanks to the 22-way-adjustable seats, a good thing specially for the Bears I mentioned earlier. Moreover, the driver seat of the Audi is more relaxing than the BMW’s and Mercedes’ as the Audi’s driving throne also has massaging functions. Overall, this cabin offers more creature comfort and is more appealing than that of the 7-series, which has been improved, but, like the exterior, is quite understated. The leather, wood trim and other material are on par.
The interior of the Mercedes is a good mix of vintage styling and modern equipment, with a simple design of the saddle-tan interior, folding centre armrest with wood trim and COMAND function all add up to automotive good taste. The A8, on the other hand, with its new MMI Touch control system, sliding Bang & Olufsen speakers and information screen has an interior cheerier than that of the S-class.
Operating the power seats in such high-end cars often gets complicated. It involves intensive technology that makes sure you have no idea how to slide the seat forward, let alone turn off the massage function. Audi have simplified things by leaving the seat adjust functions on the side of the front seats as in regular cars. Just follow the pop-up menu of the infotainment screen and you know exactly what you are adjusting. The touch makes the MMI easier to operate than BMW’s iDrive or Mercedes S-Class’ COMAND set-up.
After adjusting the front passenger seat of the cars to my sitting position, I got into their back-seats to find out which one of these offered the ultimate rear seat space and comfort. This explained the S-Class’ predominance in this super-saloon segment. The ‘S’ has the best rear legroom and is the cosiest, closely followed by the A8 and the Seven. But what makes the A8 stand out is the power foot-rest that is integrated at the back of the front passenger seat. The front seat folds at the press of a button and a foot rest unfolds to let you stretch your legs, even the 10-inch entertainment adjusts automatically. Perks of travelling first class.
The A8 is a four seater with a fixed armrest and a control system that take up the rear centre seat, whereas the Beemer and Mercedes have foldable armrests equipped with cup-holders and climate controls. However, I doubt if anyone would like to be seated in the rear centre seat of these commodious cars and miss out on the luxury. For instance, the seat massage system is only available on the rear seats. I must mention that the A8 offers the best automotive rubdown I’ve ever experienced and wouldn’t mind being stuck in the Mumbai traffic in it.
All the three luxury cars offer loads of goodies like infotainment screens, rear climate controls, massage function and electric window blinds, to name a few. And it goes without saying that all the three cars are well insulated from outside noise. Though the hushed interior isn’t entirely a good thing as sitting underneath their hoods is the V-8 motor and my inner outlaw misses its beastly howl!
Unleashing the beast
The German engineers have in no way compromised on powering these luxosedans. The S-500L comes loaded with a massive 5,461-cc, V8 petrol engine mated with a seven-speed G-TRONIC auto-box that helps deliver 374 PS of peak power and 505 Nm of max torque in the smoothest possible way to achieve zero to 100 km/h
in 7.44 seconds. Yes, it is impressive for a car of this size and weight, but appears to be slack when compared to Audi’s latest offering.
The A8 is roughly 100 kg lighter than the competition due to its lightweight and rigid aluminium body, which benefits its overall fuel efficiency, performance, handling and braking. Nowadays, when every gram is important, this is a huge difference. The car sports the same 4,163-cc, direct-injection V8 mill that did duty on its forebear, but by using Audi’s variable intake-valve-lift system and reducing internal friction and a taller top gear, it adds another 22 steeds to the luxury chariot. While cruising on the highway in top gear, the slick eight-speed triptonic kicks down to third the moment you put your right foot down and the Audi surges ahead effortlessly with authority and a soft V8 howl. The motor can now churn out 377 PS and 445 Nm of torque and manage 0-100 km/h in just 6.9 seconds, that’s 3.5 seconds faster than the previous A8.
Finally, the Beemer, the champion of speed propelled by the 4,395-cc twin turbo V8, produces 409 PS and an unbelievable 600 Nm of torque and is mated with the six-speed Steptronic automatic transmission. The spontaneous 750Li takes just 6.65 seconds to reach the 100 km/h mark from standstill, putting a few sport cars to shame!
Sailing on the road
The ride is as important as the interior space for a majority of luxury connoisseurs. They just demand one simple thing – outstanding driving comfort, no matter what speed or surface the car is being driven at. Now that’s not asking for too much, or is it?
The long version of the 7 Series boasts of a self-levelling air suspension at the rear that offers a consistent ride height. The BMW wears 245/50 R18 run flat tyres and features new shock-absorbers that send information 400 times a second to the dynamic damping control (DDC) system and are now 
independently adjustable for both compression and rebound damping. This means that the dampers adapt to the state of the road irrespective of which DDC mode is selected. There are other good optional features such as the integral active steering system which varies the steering angle of the rear wheels, thus improving safety, stability and comfort even at high speeds, bends or while changing lanes and ensures better handling in brake manoeuvres. But the run-flat tyres play spoilsport over bumpy surfaces, which are unfortunately common in our country, making the ride quality stiff. A problem if you sign your seven-digit cheques on board.
The Mercedes runs on 255/45 R18 tyres and is equipped with multi-link suspension and AIRMATIC system that works in combination with a fully automatic damping adjustment, like the one in BMW, which continually adjusts to the driving situation. In addition, the vehicle can be raised on poor or unfavourable stretches of road to increase ground clearance. When driving continually at a high speed the vehicle is automatically lowered, which improves handling and reduces wind resistance, an additional contribution to reducing fuel consumption. The collaborative effort of these technologies make the ride quality of the Tri-Star very soft and comfortable, enabling it to sail over bad roads without you spilling your Colombian coffee on your Italian tuxedo.
Compared to the other two sedans, the Audi A8 sports the tallest 18-inch alloy wheels in 235/55 R18 profile. The only car in this comparison to feature the quattro or all-wheel-drive, that inspires confidence while entering turns at higher speeds by resisting under- or oversteer and maintaining a solid grip. The more slippery the conditions, the bigger the advantage of the all-wheel-drive. If you are a driving enthusiast and like to take your prized possession for an occasional spin, then adding the optional Sport rear differential to the quattro kit is worth every rupee. You can even use the MMI control system to adjust setting for the suspension damping, active steering weight and ratio, along with throttle and gearshift strategy. Its light weight and sporty engine paired with the dynamic ride quality make the Audi the sportscar of this segment. The aluminium bodyshell makes a stiff yet light base which further enhances the ride comfort. The best way to experience this is to go over bad roads at low speeds and watch all the bumps and thuds get mopped clean. The A8L wraps around you and feels smaller to drive and its steering is much lighter than the 750Li and transmits better information from the tyres. All this and along with the beautiful new interior of the A8L is what will probably attract the attention of luxury-car buyers towards itself.
I know that the fuel efficiency might not matter much in this segment, but it should because of the carbon footprint cars leave behind. The BMW 750Li gives an average fuel economy of 6.2 km per litre, while the new Audi A8L does 6.75 km/l and the Mercedes S500L returns 7.4 km/l.
Defence mechanism
The 7 Series and the S-Class also have night-vision features. The BMW uses a thermal-imaging camera mounted in the front bumper. The body heat of humans and animals crossing your path or on the side of it shows up as bright spots on the display through the iDrive screen on the dashboard. Adding to this safety feature is a new pedestrian-detection system that highlights potential hazards on the screen with bright yellow triangles and audible warnings. The Benz uses a near-infra-red camera, which requires a special set of lights in the headlamp cluster to produce a luminous image on the instrument screen. All relevant information is displayed on the COMAND’s eight-inch screen, which sits in the driver’s central field of vision. This way you always have your central settings before your eyes. The Audi offers a radar at the front, thermal-based night-vision camera hidden in the right-most ring of the grille’s four-ring badge and rear-facing radar. All you need to do is select all the driver-assist tools through the MMI and then the adaptive cruise determines whether the car in the rear is too close for comfort or if the adjacent lanes are clear while overtaking. It also keeps a tab on whether you’re changing lanes, if there is a crossing coming up using the navigation system and even if the car in front has a turn signal on (using the front camera); then it adjusts your car speed accordingly. There’s more. The systems offer collision mitigation, lane departure warning and stop-go active cruise and infra-red night vision that recognises pedestrians and cyclists and alerts you through the display between the speedometer and tachometer, if they encroach upon your path. Scary technology, but doubly reassuring for all the passengers of the car.
Verdict
Until now the majestic S-Class had been the ruler in this segment for various reasons – comfort, space, luxury, quality and the Tri-Star marque. It is like a royal cruise that ferries the owner around town with panache and wrapped in luxury. But as the sun sets for this model and until the rise of the next, the Mercedes for now have to give way to newer technology and fresher styling. Nevertheless, if you belong to the old school of thought, then this is an obvious choice.
The BMW is like a warhorse – it’s fast, brawny and very powerful, making it the fastest car in this shoot-out to reach the 100 km/h mark. The build quality, road grip and performance are second to none; just that the design of the interior and exterior is not as appealing. It has the characteristic heavy steering and firm ride quality ideal for the outgoing types and might not be suitable for the sensitive kinds.
The A8 has four years’ advantage over the S500 and even the latest 7 Series is a couple of years older; giving the Audi an upper hand. It offers the best of both worlds and is a royal cruise and a warhorse. It also has the most appealing design and is the only car equipped with quattro. It has enough puff to tailgate the BMW and has the lightest yet sharp steering which is better than the Mercedes. Despite being the largest in dimension, the A8 feels like a regular sedan while driving and offers the best combination of comfort and driving pleasure. So, if you enjoy driving and have a budget of Rs 1 crore for a luxury sedan, then buy the A8.
CAPTIONS:
1.BMW’s all-round cameras offer a 360-degree view on the iDrive screen
2.The foot-rest makes the A8 supremely comfortable
3.Mercedes’ petite steering shift makes the dash look airy
4.Audi’s 4.2 FSI is a strong performer and offers 22 PS more than its forebear
5.Audi’s audio equipment and quality of the interiors makes it a place to be in
6.The A8 is a four seater with a fixed armrest and a control system
7.BMW’s seats are less contoured and firmer than Mercedes’ or Audi’s
8.The interior is good, but falls short of what the competitors offer
9.The Beemer’s brilliant 4,395-cc twin turbo V8 makes it the champion of speed
10.The S-Class offers the best rear legroom and is definitely the cosiest
11.The interior of the Merc is a good mix of traditional styling and modern technology
12.The smooth, 5,461-cc, V8 petrol engine is the largest among the three
BLURB
the A8 is a royal cruise and a warhorse, with the most appealing design and the quattro
