The S-Class stands for the fascination of Mercedes-Benz: legendary and traditional engineering expertise which defines the luxury segment in the automobile industry. The new S-Class can be experienced with all the senses – seeing, feeling, hearing and smelling – while offering numerous innovations in the areas of driver assistance, protection and interaction. Mercedes-Benz is shaping the next generation of individual mobility with innovations that place the focus on people. The new S-Class uses digitisation for a car that responds empathetically to the needs and wishes of its driver and passengers.
The S-Class is the world’s best-selling luxury sedan. With the latest generation we want to offer our customers innovation, safety, comfort and quality as never before,” says Ola Källenius, Chairman of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG. “The new S-Class underpins our claim to produce the best automobile in the world”, states Markus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG; responsible for Daimler Group Research and Mercedes-Benz Cars COO. “This is where covetable luxury meets the greatest possible safety and highest level of comfort.” The market launch in the Middle East will commence in January 2021.
Modern luxury attains the next level in the interior of the S-Class. The designers have created a feel-good ambience with lounge character marked by elegance, high quality and lightness. The dashboard with its new architecture, modern surface design and ergonomic display arrangement is a particular highlight. But the feel-good aspect goes even deeper: with high ride quality and low noise levels as well as an extensive range of ENERGIZING Comfort programmes, the S-Class looks after the well-being of its passengers. They also stay fit thanks to the effective air filtering system, which signals its newly gained capability with the new name ENERGIZING Air Control .
The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class has become more intelligent in many areas, and the driving experience is at the next level. Digital innovations such as in MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) are joined by innovations that increase driving enjoyment while making driving even safer: among them are rear-axle steering with a large steering angle and safety innovations such as the rear airbag. As a new function of PRE-SAFE® Impulse Side, the active E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL suspension can raise the vehicle body (on both sides) just before an impending side impact. Following systematic further development, the driving assistance systems are a further step towards autonomous driving. Thanks to improved environmental sensors, for example, the parking systems give the driver even better support when manoeuvring at low speed. The integration into MBUX means that the level of visualisation has now entered a whole new dimension.
Interesting facts & figures: sometimes numbers say more than a thousand words
The turning circle is reduced by up to 1.9 metres with rear-axle steering compared to a model without it. The maximum steering angle is 10°.
27 languages are supported by “Hey Mercedes” with Natural Language Understanding (NLU). 30 loudspeakers and eight exciters are included in the Burmester® high-end 4D surround sound system.
10 different massage programmes are available in the new S-Class.
The display area of the augmented reality head-up display corresponds to a monitor with a diagonal of 77 inches.
With a Cd figure from 0.22, the S-Class is one of the world’s most aerodynamic cars. Its drag coefficient is therefore lower than before, despite a larger frontal area 200 sq. cm.
The resolution of DIGITAL LIGHT per vehicle is over 2.6 million pixels.
The computing power of MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) has increased by 50 percent compared to the system in the previous model. The memory bandwidth is 41,790 MB/s.
When a side impact threatens, the vehicle body can be raised by up to 8 centimetres by the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL suspension (optional) within a few tenths of a second. This is a new function of PRE-SAFE® Impulse Side.
17 step motors control the temperature and air distribution in the THERMOTRONIC system. The 4-zone climate control THERMOTRONIC Rear (optional) even has 20 step motors. These electric motors operate the air flaps.
In the Active Ambience Lighting system (optional), there is an LED in an optical fibre every 1.6 centimetres. There are around 250 in all.
The new OLED central display measures 239.06 mm x 218.8 mm, and has an active screen diagonal of 12.8 inches. The screen area is 64 percent larger than in the preceding model. The driver display measures 291.6 mm x 109.4 mm and has a diagonal of 12.3 inches.
The tubular structure of the innovative rear airbag is around 16 litres, while the total volume of the deployed bag is up to 70 litres.
The control units of E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL analyse the driving situation and adjust the suspension 1000 times per second.
The designation “S-Class” was officially introduced with the 116 series in 1972.
More than 98 kg of components made from resource-conserving materials are used in the S-Class. The number of components containing recyclates is now 120 – more than twice as many as in the preceding model. Another 40 kg or so are made from renewable raw materials.
The S-Class is the centrepiece of the brand: legendary engineering expertise and a heritage of craftsmanship meet progressive digital innovation. The S-Class combines artificial intelligence with the experience gained from 135 years of automobile engineering. Around 70 years ago, Mercedes-Benz laid the foundations for this model series with the model 220. Since its market launch in 1951, more than 4 million S-Class Sedans have been delivered to customers around the world. The designation “S-Class” was officially introduced with the 116 series in 1972. In the last 10 years the S-Class Sedan has been particularly popular in China, the USA, South Korea and Germany. All in all, since the launch of the generation that is now in its runout phase, more than 500,000 S-Class Sedans have been sold.
The loyalty rate for this model series is especially high. For example, in the region, more than 80% of customers who previously drove an S-Class once again opted for a Mercedes-Benz model. Around the world the S-Class Sedan is predominantly sold in the long wheelbase version: Around 9 out of 10 customers opt for the long version of the S-Class Sedan, which is standard in the region.
MBUX: a new dimension in personalisation and interaction
No other innovation in recent years has so radically changed the operation of a Mercedes-Benz as MBUX
(Mercedes-Benz User Experience). The second generation of this learn-capable system now debuts in the new S-Class. The vehicle interior is even more digital and intelligent, as both the hardware and software have made great strides: brilliant displays on up to five large screens, in part with OLED technology, make the control of vehicle and comfort functions even easier. The possibilities for personalisation and intuitive operation have become far more extensive. This certainly applies in the rear, but also to the driver: For example, the new 3D driver display allows a spatial view at the touch of a button for the first time. A real three-dimensional effect is achieved without having to wear 3D glasses.
Two different head-up displays (HUDs) are available on request. The larger HUD provides augmented reality (AR) content. When navigating, for example, animated turn-off arrows (“fishbones”) are virtually and precisely projected onto the road lane. For the assistance functions, information from e.g. Active Distance Assist is shown. The image appears virtually at a distance of 10 metres. The display area corresponds to a monitor with a 77-inch diagonal.
The voice assistant “Hey Mercedes” is even more learn- and dialogue-capable by activation of online services in the Mercedes me App. Moreover, certain actions can be performed even without the activation keyword “Hey Mercedes”. These include accepting a telephone call. “Hey Mercedes” now also explains vehicle functions and answers general knowledge questions. In the S-Class the voice assistant can also be controlled from the rear.
Using cameras in the overhead control panel and learning algorithms, MBUX Interior Assist recognises and anticipates the wishes and intentions of the occupants. It does this by interpreting head direction, hand movements and body language, and responds with corresponding vehicle functions. As well as enhancing operating convenience, MBUX Interior Assist improves safety. Even before the journey begins, it notifies the driver if the camera has detected a child seat on the front passenger seat but seat belt is not fastened, for example.
With the MBUX Smart Home function, the S-Class now also becomes a control centre for the home, because the homes of many people are increasingly intelligent: mobile intelligence ensures maximum operating convenience from afar. WLAN and sensors make the home capable of communication: temperature and lighting, roller blinds and electrical appliances can be remotely monitored and controlled. Motion detectors and window contacts inform the user of welcome or unwelcome visitors.
Dimensional concept and interior design: generous ambience with a lounge-like nature
The S-Class has always been a place for comfortable travel and relaxed working. With the new generation, the interior has fully evolved into a “third place”, a refuge between the home and workplace. Nearly all comfort-related dimensions of both variants, the S-Class with short and long wheelbase, have been improved in the front as well as on the rear seats. The sense of space is accordingly generous.
