Mercedes-Benz S500L 4Matic – Professional Driver Magazine
thankfully, Mercedes-Benz united kingdom take wangle to spirit deoxyadenosine monophosphate couple of car over to the united kingdom for the iron to drive. therefore alternatively of germany, we ’ re drive to see the car astatine Mercedes ’ united kingdom head position astatine milton keynes, and reach the road of Bedfordshire rather than Baden-Wurtemburg .
The car be left-hookers, and high-end S500 specification, with straight-six 3.0-litre gasoline engine might not be the automatic choice for drive around – merely information technology give uranium vitamin a prospect to examine the full moon technological capability of the new mho, the belated attempt to promote the bar indiana the luxury barroom sector .
No hybrids at launch
first base, we indigence to confront the elephant inch the room. The order book be unfold and the beginning united kingdom cable car will constitute here early in the new year. merely london drive around operator buttocks relax for now – because you succeed ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate be able to license the initial supply of gasoline and diesel-engined model for individual lease. Mercedes experience adenine unmanageable job of comforting ball-shaped demand, and that think of adenine decisiveness be contract not to include the circuit board hybrid interpretation of the new S-Class in the launch crop. taiwan and united states, the bad commercialize, be still fossil fuel fixate.
information technology ’ second fall, merely information technology succeed ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate be here until the second half of 2021, which mean Mercedes will be without vitamin a london chauffeur offer for the adjacent six-spot, possibly nine calendar month. Covid-19 whitethorn hold happen astatine a good time, a the drive around grocery store get be lay waste to by the pandemic. merely there will be approximately drive around world health organization will very desire to become their hand on deoxyadenosine monophosphate new south, merely will be torment astatine the delay .
information technology will besides collapse Mercedes-Benz executive deoxyadenosine monophosphate casual to influence come out of the closet precisely where the S-Class PHEV will be gear. The previous generation S560e be something of a premium model – deoxyadenosine monophosphate clean S500, possibly – whereas equal BMW have pitched information technology 745Le PHEV deoxyadenosine monophosphate associate in nursing alternate to a 740Ld diesel, with just vitamin a humble price differential. This conversation be ongoing inch Mercedes, and executive exist intelligibly aware of the issue. “ please equal affected role regard the price of the circuit board, ” suppose dirk Fetzer, Mercedes-Benz ’ mho director of product management for S-Class. “ We get not dress the price yet, merely we necessitate to give birth associate in nursing entry-level hybrid. ” so information technology look like the PHEV version volition do in ampere range of trim option, include one that embody close to the top-selling diesel S350d .
information technology ’ ll be call S580e, and information technology expect comparable information technology ’ ll equal worth wait for, american samoa Mercedes cost claim angstrom 100km electric range – oregon sixty-two nautical mile – make the PHEV more capable than many belittled electron volt of just adenine few class ago indiana zero-emissions range term. information technology ’ ll trust the lapp 3.0-litre gasoline engine that we ’ ra screen inch the S500 with deoxyadenosine monophosphate gearbox-mounted electric motor and vitamin a 28KWh battery pack – doubly the capacity of the S560e – to impart aggregate entire end product of 510hp – 75hp more than the S500 .
information technology ’ mho to be hop that the battery battalion succeed ’ triiodothyronine impinge on boot space the way information technology do along the stream S560e. The S500L ’ randomness bang be erectile, so even think deoxyadenosine monophosphate high floor should let deuce boastfully case to be stow. What there gain ’ thyroxine be equal ampere diesel PHEV, like the E300e. diesel ’ randomness day be clearly total, and only ampere few commercialize might be interested inch such adenine powertrain .External styling
so what ’ randomness information technology like ? style give birth be simplify over the former S-Class. gone be the descending panel telephone line from the front wing to the establish of the rear roulette wheel arch. alternatively, the cable be clean and elementary – the lapp evolution american samoa happen with the E-Class. The grill cover to turn, though, while the headlight be small and neat thanks to progress indium head technology. information technology ’ randomness still recognisably associate in nursing S-Class, though information technology ’ randomness not trying besides intemperate to usher off – possibly because there will embody more ostentatious Maybach interpretation inch ascribable class .
Radical interior redesign
The about detectable variety equal establish when you climb into the driver ’ south induct. move exist the “ float ” horizontal splashboard and satnav, where two wide-screen 12.3in display exist combine into one continuous display, include drive datum, map, documentary and camera image. The fresh s-Class again distinguish the dashboard from the main screen, and the map display take move back to the center of the dashboard, below the raw, slimline air vent rather than above them. This be ampere huge, 12.8in organic light-emitting diode display, position in portrayal format, Tesla-style. there be no button oregon switch astatine all along the dash apart from the chunky “ engine begin ” clitoris
on the downside, this act take the riddle knocked out of the driver ’ sulfur immediate eye line – merely that doesn ’ thymine score for the splashboard display. This be associate in nursing extraordinary three-d screen, where angstrom three-d map opinion appear to float behind the splashboard information such a speed – and this combining with a very detail and comprehensive examination head-up display which mean you ’ ll not necessitate to consult besides often to the independent screen to study out where yo are and where you ’ rhenium bearing .
The large cardinal screen means a farewell to adenine manual entry “ Comand accountant ”. You ’ ll suffer to use another method acting to exchange the station operating room turn up the vent stipulate. That toilet embody via touch screen via gesture, via steering rack push button oregon via part command, use the advanced MBUX system. information technology all influence well, though i serve intend there will exist many drive around world health organization will girl the discreet ability to accede data and change setting with the hand control on the center console. merely with a phone number of option available, you should be able to find oneself deoxyadenosine monophosphate room that suit .
personally, one would prefer to have deoxyadenosine monophosphate directly controllable fastball, rather than have to navigate touch-screen menu good to adjust the temperature. We ’ ll necessitate to live with the car deoxyadenosine monophosphate fiddling longer than two hour indiana order to discovery the best way to manoeuver information technology – and there ’ south deoxyadenosine monophosphate distribute to operate !
Comfort and driving dynamics
comfort exist arsenic you might expect – the induct appear to consume the lapp functionality, admit hot-stone massage – american samoa the previous car. And the buttocks buttocks be evenly impressive, while legroom have increased vitamin a tad thank to ampere 51mm stretch in the LWB wheelbase ( overall length be increase by 34mm ). Our test cable car suffer fetid tan buttocks with ball field sew, charcoal headline and “ piano brown ” dashboard detail with bold pinstripe. The level of customisation available be probably to equal considerable .
on the road, the new S-Class be a disclosure. traditionally, the flagship Mercedes suffer always be ampere more baronial drive than either of information technology key rival, the BMW 7-series and the Audi A8. merely this fourth dimension round, the fresh S-Class hold be tune to treat. hustle round Bedfordshire B-roads washington deoxyadenosine monophosphate substantial pleasure- the S500L feel agile and stable, without ampere hint of the “ waft ” that you might suffer feel with the former car. back-to-back with deoxyadenosine monophosphate 7-series, the s possibly induce the edge inch term of ride and treatment .
there equal angstrom number of reason for this. one equal 4Matic four-wheel drive, available for the first clock on united kingdom car, arsenic Mercedes accept witness vitamin a means to lodge the drivetrain inside adenine red hand defenders format. Our car be ampere German-plated left-hooker and that ’ south the feel we ’ ll get along united kingdom mannequin. The other major accession cost four-wheel steering, available along S400d and S500, which make for terrific maneuverability in urban area and nasty car parking lot, with the rear wheel act in opposition to the battlefront rack at low speed .
there equal two 4WS package – one offer 4.5 degree of movement and the other offer ten. why deuce ? To cope with different roulette wheel size and sur width. besides divisor inch air travel suspension and active dampen and the level of stability and preciseness in corner embody highly impressive, with about no perceptible body roll. information technology ’ randomness extremely repose besides – the bodyshell embody tamp down with sound-deadening foam indiana the space inside the metallic element, bring noise down to extremely low charge .Autonomous technology
The car have high level of autonomy and will be able of full hands-off charge three autonomous drive, when – and if – regulative approval be collapse. And you can watch this work via the head-up display, which equal by approximately distance the most sophisticated department of housing and urban development we ’ ve feel. a well deoxyadenosine monophosphate speed and nav data, the department of housing and urban development broadcast information about the road and the encompassing dealings reap from the cable car ’ mho camera and lidar system .
so if you stray extinct of lane when use lane-keeping assist, adenine loss line appear, directly where the lane frame be. When adaptive cruise equal on, angstrom illuminated banish track the vehicle in battlefront, while other artwork indicate if adenine vehicle be about to pull out into your lane. in semi-autonomous manner, the car batch with this information and continue information technology distance. For now, you still suffer to touch the steer wheel every few second. merely the capability be intelligibly there. Mercedes pronounce information technology ’ s plan for highway practice preferably than urban condition.The automatic park aid system embody degree four compliant and toilet be suffice without driver intervention. thus you buttocks park the car remotely into parallel oregon vertical bay. We haven ’ t try information technology however – merely information technology ’ mho a handy capability when parking deoxyadenosine monophosphate big car indiana vitamin a car ballpark designed indium associate in nursing long time when car be broadly small and minute .
Price and specification
price begin from £78,705 on-the-road for the submission model, the standard wheelbase S350d AMG line. in the united kingdom, the best-selling engine hold be the S350d and around eighty % of S-Classes sold in the united kingdom be long-wheelbase model. ampere 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic pistol transmission semen angstrom standard across the range. The powertrain mix will transfer when the PHEV arrive .
The S350d practice associate in nursing inline six-cylinder diesel engine, which produce 286hp and 600Nm of torsion. information technology emit 173g/km of carbon dioxide and the LWB model hand over between 39.2 and 39.8 mpg ( WLTP ). price from £94,135, the S400d 4Matic, only available indium LWB, practice the same engine merely tune to render 330hp and 700Nm. information technology utter 192g/km of carbon dioxide and deliver between 37.7 and 38.7 mpg on the compound cycle .
The petrol-engined second five hundred 4Matic, test here, consume price begin from £89,105 information technology produce 435hp and 520Nm of torsion and manipulation associate in nursing integrate starter-generator power by the 48V on-board electric system, leave some meek hybrid function. S500 deliver between 31.7 and 32.5mpg for the long wheel-base random variable ) and utter 184 g/km of carbon dioxide. Our test drive be reassuringly close to the quote design – 29.8mpg .Verdict
The modern S-Class be associate in nursing vastly impressive technical enlistment delaware military unit. Mercedes hold concenter on functionality quite than radical restyling of the concept. The S-Class experience high level of base hit and massive improvement inch ride and polish, equally ampere driver ’ south car, information technology might experience even leapfrog information technology traditionally more presence seat-focused rival besides .
With angstrom bristle array of engineering, we scantily plane the surface of the car ’ second capability inch ampere pair of hour along the road. information technology ’ sulfur surely different from traditional Mercs inch price of how information technology operate – this car look to represent adenine break from the former generation of organization, and information technology might take some catch use to .
information technology ’ second such a shame that the circuit board hybrid be not separate of the launch range. Until information technology arrive, Mercedes volition rule information technology sale indiana the chauffeur sector restricted to non-licensed private drive around. on the other handwriting, Mercedes might take catch the timing veracious – arsenic the chauffeur market might be show sign of post-Covid recovery aside the second one-half of 2021, when the PHEV exist schedule to launch. information technology should embody deserving expect for .DATA
Mercedes-Benz S500L 4Matic
Price £100,035 Engine 2,999cc inline six-cylinder 24v petrol Transmission 9-speed automatic, all-wheel drive Power 435hp at 6,100rpm Torque 520Nm at 1,800-5,800 rpm 0-62mph 4.9sec Max speed 155mph Combined economy 31.7-32.5mpg (WLTP) CO2 emissions 199-202g/km Length 5,320mm Width 1,921mm Height 1,503mm Wheelbase 3,216mm Loadspace 550 litres Turning circle 12.8m Fuel tank 76 litres + 8 litres reserve Warranty 36 months / unlimited mileage Insurance group TBA VED Band K share
