2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
(from DaimlerChrysler
Press Release) Generation-change at the pinnacle of
automotive engineering: Mercedes-Benz presents the new S-class. The
new luxury saloon will be appearing in the showrooms of
company-owned outlets and authorised dealerships as of autumn 2005.
As in the preceding series, the new S-class will introduce technical
innovations which make the flagship Mercedes model an example for
others to follow. Pioneering safety features and exemplary comfort
continue to be the outstanding attributes of the S-class. The new
saloon also sets standards in driving dynamics with its agile
handling, while offering even more driving pleasure with new, more
powerful engines. The new S-class is replacing a model series which
is the world No. 1 in the luxury class, and of which around 485,000
have been produced since 1998.
For more than five decades, the letter "S" in the model designation
of Mercedes cars has signified a special aura, intelligent
technology and the highest quality. The new S-class not only
continues this tradition, but lends a new meaning to it. It is a
technological pacemaker with its pioneering innovations for more
safety, comfort and practicality, and like its predecessors it will
influence the automotive development of the future. The saloon
exudes this poise and assurance even at first glance. Its design
emphasises the confident, powerful and elegant character of the new
S-class, which makes every journey an experience.
Achieving even more technological highlights was a challenge for the
engineers in Stuttgart and Sindelfingen, for the bar was set very
high: the previous S-class, which had been repeatedly voted the
"Best Car in the World" since its presentation in 1998, was a hard
act to follow. The progress Mercedes-Benz has made with the new
saloon is based on this already high level. A dozen technical
innovations are entering series production for the first time on
board the new
S-class – from Brake Assist PLUS with radar sensors to seats with an
extended massage function, from the night view assist system with
the latest infra-red technology to the new COMAND system, and from
preventive PRE-SAFE® occupant protection with additional functions
to Parking Assist.
In the field of vehicle
safety, Mercedes-Benz is redoubling its commitment to accident
prevention with the preventive system Brake Assist PLUS. This system
registers vehicles ahead by radar and gives a warning if the gap is
too small or the closing speed is too high. If a collision
threatens, Brake Assist PLUS calculates the ideal braking assistance
in fractions of a second and makes this available immediately – even
if the driver applies too little pressure to the brake pedal. This
significantly reduces the incidence of rear-end collisions. The
adaptive brake light, which warns following traffic by flashing
during emergency braking, also makes a major contribution.
Mercedes-Benz combines Brake Assist PLUS with the equally unique
occupant protection system PRE-SAFE®, which offers even more safety
functions on board the new S-class. PRE-SAFE® recognises potential
accident situations as they arise: if braking deceleration exceeds a
certain level or a skid is imminent, the system tensions the front
seat belts as a precaution and inflates air cushions in the
multicontour seats to envelop and support the driver, front
passenger and rear seat occupants. For the first time Mercedes-Benz
has also integrated the side windows into this preventive protection
system; they are automatically closed when an accident threatens.
This combination of the new Brake Assist PLUS system and PRE-SAFE®
is a further enhancement to occupant protection. Mercedes-Benz is
the world’s first and only vehicle brand with a comprehensive safety
system of this kind, which already goes into action before an
impending accident.
Brake Assist PLUS is
available in combination with the likewise improved proximity
control system DISTRONIC PLUS. This radar-supported system now
operates at all speeds between zero and 200 km/h, and ensures even
greater driver comfort. In stop-and-go traffic DISTRONIC PLUS keeps
the new S-class at the right distance from the vehicle ahead,
automatically brakes the saloon to a standstill if necessary and
accelerates it back to the required speed when the traffic starts
moving again. In this way the support system reduces the driver’s
workload and provides considerable benefits in driver-fitness
safety.
The equipment package with Brake Assist PLUS and DISTRONIC PLUS also
includes a new Parking Assist system which likewise uses radar
sensors. These have a longer range than ultrasonic signals,
therefore the driver receives earlier warning of an impending
collision when reversing into a parking space.
With the innovative night view assist system which is premiered in
the new
S-class, Mercedes-Benz has made a further, major contribution to
reducing the risk of accidents during the hours of darkness. This
system is based on infra-red light, which is invisible to the human
eye and will therefore not dazzle oncoming traffic. Two infra-red
headlamps illuminate the road, extending the driver’s range of
vision to more than 150 metres when on low beam. Night view assist
therefore makes pedestrians, cyclists, parked cars and other
obstacles visible very much sooner. An infra-red camera mounted on
the inside of the windscreen records the reflected image of the road
ahead and displays this in the instrument cluster.
The new flagship model
by Mercedes-Benz is larger than its predecessor in every respect.
There is a choice of two body lengths -- 5076 or 5206 millimetres –
which is 33 and 43 millimetres, respectively, more than the previous
S-class. The wheelbase has increased by 70/80 millimetres to 3035
and 3165 millimetres, respectively. The body is also 16 millimetres
wider and 29 millimetres higher than before.
These new dimensions create the conditions for an interior concept
which provides every single passenger with first-class comfort.
Interior parameters such as shoulder-room and elbow-room have
increased by up to 39 millimetres, while headroom has again improved
by up to five millimetres. Rear seat passengers in the
long-wheelbase version benefit from a greater distance between the
seats (+ 10 mm) and more knee-room (+ 11 mm) compared to the
preceding series. The capacity of the boot has increased by 60
litres to 560 litres (VDA measuring method).
Luxurious exotic wood and chrome trim, attractively contoured
controls in aluminium and carefully coordinated colours characterise
the atmosphere in the interior, producing an immediate feeling of
wellbeing. The dashboard with its sophisticated, sweeping lines is
yet another masterpiece by Mercedes designers, for whom form and
function are ideals which share equal status. Accordingly the
cockpit not only conveys a feeling of safety, but is also
extraordinarily well laid-out and practical – from the very first
moment, man and vehicle enter into a harmonious relationship in the
new S-class.
That is also assured by
the newly developed and thoroughly tested operating concept. This is
based on findings from extensive ergonomic and perceptive psychology
studies, and also takes into account the results of acceptance tests
with Mercedes customers around the world.
The major characteristic of the intelligent operating concept in the
new
S-class is rapid access to functions which are used particularly
frequently. The system is therefore specifically designed for
redundancy: depending on his preferred habits, the driver is able to
control functions such as the radio,
TV-receiver, CD/DVD changer, telephone and navigation system either
using conventional switches, via buttons on the multifunction
steering wheel or with the help of the improved COMAND system. The
direct-selection switches in the centre console are so ergonomically
positioned that the driver is able to operate them conveniently and
without looking down. It is also possible to operate the standard
automatic climate control system in two different ways: via COMAND
or using an attractively styled array of switches beneath the air
vents.
The steering wheel and instrument cluster are the primary areas in
the new operating concept. These integrate all the important
information and functions required by the driver. The centrepiece is
a colour screen with the latest display technology for a bright,
crystal-clear image. The lower edge of the cockpit display has a
plain-text array with which up to seven main menus for individual
settings, display modes and operating functions can be controlled,
depending on the level of equipment. For rapid selection of these
functions Mercedes-Benz has developed the controls on the standard
multifunction steering wheel further, using circular, illuminated
five-way buttons which the driver operates by light thumb pressure.
Another new feature which improves operating convenience and allows
a modern cockpit design is DIRECT SELECT – electronic control of the
standard
7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission by nudging an
attractively styled lever on the right of the steering column.
Thanks to this technology, Mercedes engineers were able to dispense
with the usual selector lever on the centre console and redesign the
tunnel covering.
The innovative "Cockpit Management and Data System" -- COMAND for
short – has likewise been redesigned and now offers even more
features. In addition to the familiar telematics and audio units,
various vehicle functions which previously required individual
switches have now been integrated into the system. The central
operating unit is the new COMAND controller on the transmission
tunnel. It is used to select the main and sub-menus with which the
required functions are activated. If a car phone is fitted ex
factory, the padded handrest behind the controller can be flipped up
to reveal the telephone keypad.
The large COMAND colour display is positioned at the same height as
the instrument cluster, and therefore even more favourably within
the field of vision of the driver and front passenger. A new
operating concept, up-to-date colours and clear, photo-quality
graphics also make the menu selection procedure a gratifying visual
experience.
The COMAND system in the new S-class includes a radio, CD/DVD player
and a port for computer memory cards (PCMCIA cards) as standard. On
request Mercedes-Benz will equip COMAND with a Europe-wide
navigation system whose data are now stored on a hard drive. This
allows even faster route calculation than before.
Mercedes customers are
able to adapt the newly developed seats in the new S-class to suit
their personal comfort requirements. Electrically adjustable, 16-way
front seats with lumbar supports are standard equipment. There is
also an optional choice of luxury seats with heating and
ventilation, multicontour seats (front and rear) and dynamic
multicontour seats (front) whose squab and backrest contours adapt
to the relevant driving situation to provide the best possible
lateral support at all times.
The dynamic multicontour seat is also equipped with separate air
chambers in the backrest which are successively inflated and
deflated at the touch of a button, massaging the back muscles for
the wellbeing of its occupant. The intensity and speed of the
massage function can be adjusted in four stages by means of the
COMAND system.
The suspension with its standard, improved AIRMATIC air suspension
system also makes a major contribution to the excellent ride comfort
in the new S-class. At the touch of a button the driver is able to
choose between a comfort-oriented or more sporty configuration.
Beyond 120 km/h and in Sport mode, the suspension is automatically
lowered by up to 20 millimetres to improve the handling dynamics,
aerodynamics and fuel consumption even further.
The Active Body Control suspension system (optional, standard
equipment in the S 600) is a further milestone in suspension
engineering which has been improved even further for the new
S-class.
The newly developed braking system ADAPTIVE BRAKE has additional
functions which for example assist the driver when moving off on
gradients and shorten braking distances in the wet. The parking
brake is electrically assisted for the first time – the brake is
applied merely by pressing a button, and is released automatically
when the car moves off.
Three of the four
engines available for the new S-class are new developments by
Mercedes-Benz. They generate up to 26 percent more output and up to
15 percent more torque. In addition to the 3.5-litre V6 engine with
200 kW/272 hp, a new eight-cylinder unit developing 285 kW/388 hp
and a muscular 530 Newton metres of torque from a mere 2800 rpm
upwards will already be available at the time of the market launch
in autumn 2005. It accelerates the S 500 from standstill to 100 km/h
in just 5.4 seconds.
From the first quarter of 2006 Mercedes-Benz will be extending the
range of engines for the S-class with the new V6 CDI engine, which
has a particulate filter as standard in certain countries. This
direct-injection unit has an output of 170 kW/231 hp and generates a
maximum torque of 540 Newton metres from 1600 rpm. This means that
the new S 320 CDI betters the preceding model by 13 percent in
output and eight percent in torque.
The output of the twelve-cylinder engine in the top-of-the-range S
600 (available from the first quarter of 2006) has increased to 380
kW/517 hp, while torque has increased by just under four percent to
a remarkable 830 Newton metres from 1900 rpm.
As standard equipment, the V6 and V8 engines for the new S-class are
combined with the unique seven-speed automatic transmission
7G-TRONIC.
The new S-class is
replacing a successful series which has captured the top end of this
market segment in every region of the world. Even in its last year
of production the flagship saloon by Mercedes-Benz is the worldwide
market leader among the world’s luxury saloons, with around 17,000
units sold (as of May 2005).
Accolades achieved by the previous S-class include around four dozen
prizes and awards in international competitions, with numerous
titles such as "Best Car", "Most Innovative Saloon", "Highest Design
Quality" or "World’s Finest Car".