Mercedes-Benz S350

The new S-Class is a technological tour de force, but only if you're liberal with the options list…

What's New
When Mercedes-Benz launches a new S-Class, the rest of the motoring world is supposed to sort of brace itself in anticipation of being awe struck. For this latest version of its flagship model, Mercedes has thrown the proverbial kitchen sink at the car in terms of new technology, much of which has been focused on safety systems.

Given its sheer size, the S-Class is not as imposing in the metal as you might expect. It's considerably larger in all dimensions than the old car, but the styling, an evolutionary mix of subtlety and aggression, with strong hints of the ultra-luxury Maybach limousine thrown in, does an admirable job of disguising the car's bulk. Most of the exterior panels are made of aluminium to save weight, too.

You get a fair measure of gadgets and electronic wizardry if you opt for the S 350 shown here 'as is', but to experience the S-Class as Mercedes intended, you've got to really shell out for the extras.

A Pre-Safe Plus system can actually anticipate frontal collisions, boost brake pressure commensurately and make that pressure instantly available, even if the driver fails to stomp on the left pedal with sufficient authority.

The S-Class' speedometer is actually a digitally rendered image, projected onto another high definition display. If you opt for the night vision system, you get infrared cameras in the headlamps that project what they see onto the same high definition display in the instrument cluster.

The S-Class' dashboard layout is very similar to that of BMW's 7 Series, which is no bad thing as Mercedes has improved on BMW's iDrive interface, though the basic arrangement is still quite similar with deeply layered sub-menus to get hopelessly lost in. You get high-definition display that swivels to face either front occupant, plus a rotary controller.

How it Performs
If you do decide to be a little bit more enthusiastic behind the wheel, the S-Class is more than game. In fact, the car, vast as it is, really does seem to shrink around you. The steering is not particularly communicative but it is plenty accurate, and the nose tucks into corners with an almost ferret-like verve. The S 350 comes standard with adaptive damping, which firms up or softens the dampers depending on your driving style. You can lock in sport or comfort-oriented damping programmes with the gearbox settings but the system also sorts itself out on the fly.

The S 350 gets the 3.5-litre V6 that first pulled duty in the SLK and CLS models. It develops 272bhp and 350Nm of torque, and while the V6 isn't all that willing to rev, provided you provoke it sufficiently, you can make very swift progress. Keep your right foot planted in the carpet and you'll hit 100kmh from a standing start in just 7.3 seconds.

How it Stacks Up
The all new S-Class is a technological marvel, although there's a price to pay for all the additions. It's vast, vastly comfortable, and packs enough tech to boggle the mind of your average 13 year old, which is no mean feat. If you're actively shopping at this end of the market then there should be no worries, and you can be confident that you're getting one of the very best luxury cars on sale today.

Technical Specifications

MODEL Mercedes-Benz S 350 ENGINE Engine: 3,498cc 24V V6 Max Power: 272bhp at 6,700rpm Max Torque: 350Nm at 2,400rpm TRANSMISSION 7-speed automatic TOP SPEED 250 kmh 0-100km/h 7.3s