The completely new Mercedes S-Class has finally been revealed and it will be the most revolutionary version of the flagship luxury saloon yet.
The S-Class has always been the most noted name in the luxury saloon arena and for good reason. It was – and still is – huge, sturdy, well-equipped and offers a choice of powerful engines that deliver more than what is normally, or even especially, required in any circumstances. From the 204-hp S 250 CDI about a decade ago, sold overseas, to the 630-hp and 1,000-Nm AMG S 65 still around in its swansong “Final Edition” avatar, the S-klasse has been an icon of the automotive world. If there’s a new technology seen in road cars, chances are it was in a previous-generation S-Class. That’s how much it has taken the game forward.
Today, the S has more than its fair share of rivals, from luxury challengers such as the BMW 7 Series and Audi A8, to high-performance rivals in the Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte, and even some super-luxury names: the Bentley Flying Spur and Rolls-Royce Ghost. To be fair, it does have several avatars of its own: Benz, AMG and Maybach respectively. Now, though, the next generation beckons.
The next generation W223 new Mercedes S-Class has been teased and it looks as formidable a rival as it looks desirable as a super saloon. And super-saloon it will be. It has a huge front grille with next-generation Digital Light LED units flanking it. Object detection technology will be in place behind that radiator grille and the proportions, overall, seem more than generous, belied by sharp design elements and creases that seem to hide its true size rather well. The tail-lamps will also see a distinct re-design. The S-Class and its all-electric EQS twin, expectedly, will be made alongside each other and will share a sizeable amount of inventory. From a thoroughly redesigned interior, new steering wheel format, two large widescreen displays behind it, a heads-up display in some models and a cascading vertical touchscreen interface on the centre console with the latest generation MBUX will be offered. Autonomous technologies including the latest Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control with collision warning, distance alert, swarm function and active curve assist will all be present, along with a whole host of connected and autonomous technology including highway self-drive assist with the support of a slew of sensors, navigation and real-time traffic data. It will be a big step forward, safe to say.
We also believe another huge step will take place in the powertrain development. There should be petrol, diesel, EQ Boost electrified 48-volt mild hybrids, and EQ Power plug-in hybrids – petrol and diesel this time – to cater to every need while being more responsible toward the environment. The range should start with the S 350 d and S 400 d – with the 2,925-cc in-line six-cylinder engine, now potentially offered only as mild-hybrids with 286 hp and 340 hp respectively with a 16-kW (22 hp and 250 Nm) integrated starter-generator making for swift off-the-line or smooth coasting performance; whether a higher-power unit will be used remains to be seen. A new S 500 d is also expected, highly possible as a plug-in hybrid, combining the straight-six turbo-diesel with a 100-kW e-motor (136 hp and 440 Nm) integrated in the new 9G-Tronic hybrid-automatic transmission with dynamic decoupling of the engine when needed. An S 350 de, with a 2.0 diesel and e-motor as above could also be on offer, as with the near-miraculously efficient GLE 350 de EQ Power. With looming Euro 6e norms, it would be the sensible thing to do to meet the even more stringent CO2, CO, NH3 and NOx norms.
Also read: Seven Things to Know About Euro 7 Emission Norms
Petrol engines will be even more in focus as the updates roll in. Don’t discount a four-cylinder new Mercedes S-Class plug-in hybrid with substantial e-motor support. Let’s not forget how evolved a four-cylinder engine can get: Mercedes-AMG have the 421-hp 2.0-litre engine – that’s just 48 hp short of the present S 560 with a twin-turbo V8 and 33 hp more than what the previous generation 5.5-litre V8-laden S 500 had!
A selection of six- and eight-cylinder turbo-petrol engines will be offered, again most likely as EQ Boost 48-volt mild-hybrids. Expect an evolved S 450 and S 500 with around 390 hp and 450 hp, and a new – a la GLS – S 580 with a 490-hp electrified twin-turbo V8. High-performance AMG S 53 six and S 63 eight are expected be offered, and a Maybach S 600 is surely on the cards as well. The V12 S 600 and S 65 won’t be offered this time round.
The new Mercedes S-Class will be revealed in the second half of 2020 and is expected to arrive in India later next year, depending on how things pan out with the pandemic, of course. Watch this space.
