Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Expert Rating:

What is it?

The Mercedes S-Class is the natural choice for anyone looking to travel in the utmost luxury, whether from the driver's seat or the back bench. Loved the world over for its refinement, the updated version sticks with all of the traits that have made this car the best-selling saloon in its sector. There are some very minor exterior tweaks, such as a subtly reshaped front bumper and grille with LED daytime running lights added. At the rear, a reworked bumper now sculpts its way around the oval exhaust pipes. On the inside, the big change is to the satellite navigation screen, which can now be ordered with Merc's SplitView system that allows the driver to keep an eye on the satnav and the passenger to keep up to date with what's on television or DVD. The clever bit is that the SplitView means the driver cannot see the television, so he is not distracted and stays within the law.

Other new systems to join the S-Class are Attention Assist to warn the driver if he's becoming drowsy, and Distronic Plus that uses radar to keep the S-Class at a set distance from the car in front. If this distance reduces, there's always Pre-Safe Brake-Assist to apply the brakes automatically if the car senses a collision. Mercedes also offers Lane Keeping Assist to warn the driver if the car wanders over road line marking; Blind Spot Assist to spot cars the driver might not be able to see in the door mirrors; and Night View Assist Plus to see pedestrians in the dark and show them up on a dashboard display. Other new tech for the S-Class also includes the nattily titled Torque Vectoring Brake that helps if a corner tightens up unexpectedly by applying the brakes to the rear wheel on the inside of the corner. This is all clever stuff, but most of it is hidden from the driver and goes unnoticed, with only a few on-dash warning tell-tales to say if these systems are engaged or not.

Is it any good?

When the previous S-Class was already so good, the revised model has little leeway for improvement. So you'd think, but the new model makes its gains on the financial front. The big selling 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine now manages 37.2mpg (up from 34.0 in the outgoing S 320 CDi) while reducing carbon dioxide emissions to 199g/km. The S 350, S 500 and S 600 petrol models also make economy gains and emissions reductions, so the S-Class is moving with the times.

To drive, the S-Class is a paragon of comfort and joy. The driving position is easily tailored to drivers of all physiques and, despite the complexity of the new electronic aids, the dash is wonderfully simple to comprehend. Snick the column-mounted gear lever into drive and off you go through the glossy seven-speed automatic gearbox of every model. How fast you want to accelerate is down to which engine you choose, but even the S 350 CDi diesel sees off 0-62mph in 7.8 seconds, so none of the revised S-Class range could be called slovenly.

Dips, bumps and ruts are all cast aside by the S-Class's supremely well cushioned suspension, yet the big Merc can still put on a slick shoe shuffle through the corners. More importantly, the cabin remains an oasis of hush whatever speed the car is travelling at and regardless of which seat you prefer to take the S-Class experience in. Only a slight, distant growl from the V6 turbodiesel as it sets off from traffic lights betrays which type of fuel it drinks.

Should I call the bank manager?

Call the bank manager? You probably run the bank if you're in the market for an S-Class. The revised version comes to the UK in October and Mercedes says prices will be slightly up on the outgoing models, but not by much. The extra economy and reduced emissions make sense for company buyers, as they do for anyone lucky enough to consider an S-Class privately, so we say give the bank manager a call and invite him down to the club for a quiet chat. The S-Class may be pricey, but it's also discreet enough not to shout about its price in these straitened times.

Summary

Some may see the big Merc saloon as the cop-out choice for luxury car buyers, but there's a reason it's the best seller in this sector: it's just so damned good. With improved economy and lower carbon dioxide emissions across the range, it's hard not see this luxo-saloon continuing to dominate the sales charts while the Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series can only look on in envy. The S-Class is first class.

Alisdair Suttie