Mercedes-Benz S350 Reviews

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has long prided itself on being the world's most advanced car.

I've just driven over a large speed hump at 40km/h and would not even have known it was there. Instead of braking a little, as normal, then allowing the suspension to rise as the front wheels hit to minimise the jolt, I just kept the speed steady and did not feel a thing. The car erased that hump from the roadscape. It did not exist.The car is the new Mercedes S-Class, the brand's flagship limousine, and Magic Body Control is its signature techno trick. Moments earlier I had driven over the hump with the feature turned off, and the difference is amazing. It immediately brought to mind how different I would feel about some of Sydney's roads that have become almost unusable. The S-Class snubs its nose at car-hating councils.It works using two cameras mounted high on the windscreen, which scan the road up to 15m ahead, then set a strategy for the suspension on each wheel. It functions up to 130km/h and the effect on the ride is dramatic. Perhaps it should be called Magic Carpet Control.It's an extension of a system called Adaptive Body Control, which is designed to reduce body roll and pitch and has been available on large Mercedes for some time. As usual, the three-pointed star has saved something special for its definitive statement of luxury. And, as usual, it claims to have made the best car in the world.DESIGNIn this class, unlike most others, it still has the edge on its rivals: BMW's 7 Series and Audi's A8. The previous generation, which debuted eight years ago, sold half a million. And you thought the large sedan was going out of fashion.Well of course it is, in most markets. But not the one that's expected to devour at least half the new version: China. It, and to a lesser extent the US and the Middle East, are the last redoubts of the large sedan. And this time it has meant a profound change of strategy for Mercedes.To begin with, I've never heard Mercedes talk so much about the back seat. Chinese buyers at this level, unlike in most other markets, prefer to be chauffeured. Their priorities involve a combination of lounge, office and first-class airline seating.The result is an S-Class developed from the back seat. In a reverse of the usual strategy, the long-wheelbase version came first. There are no fewer than five seat configurations, including one with a captain's chair that reclines generously and a massage menu that would put Bangkok to shame. Most of the car's functions can be controlled from the rear screens, so there's no doubt who's in charge, and of course you can send emails and do most of the other things you might do in an office.There's a big lift in interior ambience all round. All the seats are splendid, the materials first rate and the design more flowing and organic. Two large screens face the driver, one for the virtual dials and upgraded night-vision system. The other accesses audio, climate, internet and car set-up. It's a welcoming interior that does not overwhelm.There's a familiar logic to the control system even though it has been jazzed up a little, with mildly animated but classy graphics. As you delve, it's clear the whole experience is richer. One function, novel to me, is the ability to heat the arm rests in the doors. First class, then, and now free from turbulence.The S will also offer more body styles than before, with a coupe (now called CL), a convertible and several models pitched higher to replace the short-lived Maybach, which was supposedly a challenger to Rolls-Royce.Mercedes has a better chance this time although straddling Western and Eastern tastes has its challenges. Some of the interior fittings, particularly the aluminium grilles for the Burmester top-end audio, looked out of place to these Western eyes and the roundel vents are a copy of ones you find in a Bentley.FEATURESNormally, the headline features in a new S-Class are about safety rather than comfort. There are some advances here but Mercedes has already fitted them to its revised E-Class.Chief among them is Intelligent Drive, which uses the same cameras mentioned above plus an impressive array of radar, infra-red and sonar sensors to edge us closer to cars that can drive themselves. The E-Class showed that, for a few seconds at least, it could handle freeway traffic.The S-Class revealed the system can also follow a car in front at low speeds for much longer periods. In effect, a straight-line path through a city with slow-moving traffic requires little driver intervention at all. It can cope with stop-start conditions and also recognise imminent pedestrian or vehicle collisions and emergency brake. When it goes beyond its hazard parameters it alerts the driver to get back on the job. All the hardware is in place for self-driving vehicles; software and a lot of legislation are the remaining hurdles.ENGINESThe variants available were just a small sample of what will be offered eventually. The 3.0-litre diesel in the S350 and 4.7-litre V8 petrol in the S500 are familiar units and deliver assured, fuss-free progress. The diesel is likely to dominate among Australian buyers although there are fewer reasons to shun the V8 with fuel economy of 8.6 litres per 100km. These cars arrive in the last quarter.The S will also offer a turbocharged petrol V6 in the S400 and more powerful turbocharged V8 in the S63 AMG. Intriguingly, it will cover all the bases on hybrids, too, with one petrol-electric, one plug-in petrol-electric and one diesel-electric. The last, briefly sampled, combines a 2.1-litre diesel with an electric motor.DRIVINGWe tested the S-Class over the roads north of Toronto -- which were dry, almost corner-free and heavily policed with $C10,000 fines. It was possible to get glimpses of the car's handling balance and reserves of dynamic ability, which defy the physics of a 5.2m length and 2 tonne weight. But what stood out was the impeccable quietness of the cabin. Tyre, wind and even engine noise are almost absent. Aerodynamic drag has been reduced and that has a pay-off beyond efficiency; it turns the cabin into a cone of silence. You can make those business calls in peace.There was also one surprising lapse in the detail: the door-lock buttons now disappear with a clunk, the same clunk you find on lesser Mercedes. On previous S-Class they were sucked slowly and silently into the doors. Parts commonality for the S-Class? Come on, Mercedes, did you think we wouldn't notice?Mercedes-Benz S-ClassPrice: TBA AustraliaOn sale: Fourth quarter (S350, S500), second quarter 2014 (S300 Hybrid)Engines: 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbocharged diesel plus electric motor (S300 Hybrid); 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 diesel (S350); 4.7-litre turbocharged V8 petrol (S500)Outputs: 150kW at 4200rpm and 500Nm at 1600rpm (S300 Hybrid); 190kW at 3600rpm and 620Nm at 1600rpm (S350); 335kW at 5250rpm and 700Nm at 1800rpm (S500)Transmission: 7-speed automatic, rear-wheel driveFuel: from 4.4 (S300 Hybrid) to 8.6 (S500) litres per 100km average

The world's best car is new again for the first time in a decade. The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has just had a complete overhaul, from road to roof, incorporating breakthrough safety and comfort systems that will eventually be commonplace in lesser cars around the globe.At one end the new S-Class is easily capable of driving itself and at the other it provides five different cabin packages with sumptuous goose feather-filled rear headrests.The basic package for the car is still the same - it's a giant, cosseting lounge room on wheels - and it's not going to be any cheaper with starting prices on the far side of $200,000, but it shows what the world's oldest carmaker can do when it unleashes a super-skilled engineering group with a budget that probably tops $1.5 billion.The Benz flagship has been so comprehensively hyped and previewed that it's difficult to write something genuinely new, because we've seen the shape, been lectured on the technology, have trialed most of the safety systems, and are familiar with a range of short and long-wheelbase models that runs from the S 350 BlueTEC diesel up to the S 63 AMG V8 - with detours including an S 500 plug-in hybrid with claimed economy of just a tad over 3 litres/100km.So today, driving out of Toronto into the Canadian countryside, sampling the S 350 and S 500, it's all about the car and the star score for the latest S-Class. "We believe this new S-Class is the best car in the world. Promise delivered," the spokesman for Mercedes-Benz Australia, David McCarthy, tells Carsguide bluntly.There is no plan to change the starting price of $213,428 for the next S-Class. That's the showroom sticker for the current 3-litre BlueTEC diesel, and things ramp up sharply from there to just on $500,000.But there will be compensation when the first of the new cars arrive, in the final quarter of this year. "There will be more standard equipment," McCarthy says. He is not going into details but there is plenty to promise, especially on the safety front with so many active systems including a world-first stereo-camera system than can 'read' the road ahead and then set the suspension to defeat the sort of bumps and railway crossings that normally rattle cars and their occupsants.The range will start with both long and short-wheelbase cars, but the grand plan runs to petrol and diesel hybrids, a plug-in hybrid with fuel economy right down near 3 litres/100km, and then S-Class based coupes and even a six-door super-long Pullman limousine. The only definite non-starter for Australia is the twin-turbo V12-powered S65 from AMG.Where do I start and where do I finish? It would be easy to write a book on the S-Class, as Benz has done, and different people will score different things in different ways. The big emphasis is on safety technology, from that Magic Body Control system to active night vision that can pick people out of blackness - and then illuminate them with a spotlight strobe that knows not to disturb animals - and a range of anti-collision radars that cover the front, sides and even set the pre-safe safety systems for a rear impact. Back-seat passengers are also protected by inflatable airbag belts.There is also a pair of giant TFT display screens in the dashboard, all sorts of mood lighting, sound systems as good as anything you find in a home, and a lighting system - from the headlamps through the cabin to the brake lights - that is completely LED powered.The S-Class has the sort of chunky presence you expect of a high-end luxury car, but it's better resolved than the outgoing car. It's still chunky, and you won't mistake it for anything else, but it shows where Benz is going with its new family of cars and has a strong visual link down to the new A-Class.The nose is helped - ironically - by the latest pedestrian-protection rules, since the grille is now more prominent and more upright. It helps to cushion any impact but it also gives the car more impact.Inside, the design emphasis is on the sort of quality you expect - and deserve - when you pay S-Class money. The leather work is fantastic, the seat styles and shapes - from the basic bench through to the Business Class recliners - is sumptuous and everything you touch has a quality feel.The designers have also freed more space for every occupant, from front-seat head room through to back-seat knee room. And the boot is huge, unless you plan a hybrid with a big battery in the back.The new S-Class must be the world's safest car, and runs well ahead of any NCAP testing. There are airbags and ABS and ESP, of course, but it's all the active safety systems - including the amazing night vision - which make a critical difference. And which must, inevitably, migrate through the Benz family and then out to lesser brands. Mercedes-Benz wants us to call it Intelligent Drive and, for once, that's a fair concession.The new S-Class is very, very quiet. It's also cushy and comfortable. And the technology bends reality in a range of new directions. Both the S350 diesel and the V8-powered S500 get along nicely, with the bigger engine obviously giving a bigger whack away from the lights. And I know they are much more fuel efficient than ever before, rivalling cars at least two size classes smaller.A series of driving demonstrations shows how smart it is, from the anti-collision systems to the way it shines light after dark to the way it can crush a road with Active Body Control. It's absolutely brilliant to relax in the back like some sort of minor five-minute celebrity, too.And, when all the technology is working together, it's easy to see that the S-Class is very close to a car that can drive itself. It still needs line markings on either side, but it can already take the wheel for up to 10 seconds and hold its place in a lane, while keeping a radar-paced gap to the traffic and sitting ready for automatic braking in an emergency. For what it is, the S-Class is brilliant. But then there is the but.That's because it's still a giant dinosaur, even if its dimensions and derivation are cleverely disguised behind multiple layers of technology. It's an old-fashioned car that continues an old-fashioned idea of luxury motoring, and that means it cannot be best of the best.It is clearly better than anything from Audi, BMW or Jaguar, and a true rival for a Rolls-Royce at the top end of the luxury world, and it is going to be a success everywhere in the world. But, these days, we should expect more. Benz has played well, and played hard, but it has still played safe.

If you could whack wheels and seats in a crystal ball, it would be akin to - in some respects- driving an S-Class, aside from the fragility of the bodyshell.The Mercedes-Benz passenger car flagship (and its CL coupe cousin) has been the chaperone for the brand's newest safety gear - airbags and anti-lock brakes are among the many innovative features brought forth by  the big German uber-sedan.Well, we're north of $200,000 so cheap'n'cheerful an S-Class is not - brimmed with features and serenely comfortable, it is. The infotainment system is equipped with satnav, TV/DVD capability within the Harman Kardon sound system, Bluetooth phone link, radar cruise control, a sunroof, parking sensors front and rear with reversing camera, auto-dimming centre and driver's side external rearvision mirrors, active bi-xenon headlights and LED running lights, an optional wood and leather steering wheel (for $1600), electrically-adjustable heated and cooled front seats, leather trim, keyless entry and start, quad-zone climate control and tri-colour ambient lighting.And that's skimming the surface, as most of the expensive stuff fits into the other categories.Aside from some of the safety highlights detailed later, the innovations within the features side of the equation are more evolution than revolution.The S350 has the new narrower 3.5 litre V6 with spray-guided direct petrol injection via piezo injectors, four valves per cylinder and adjustable camshafts, new air intake and exhaust system, which offers 225kW and 370Nm - increases of 12.5 and 5.7 per cent respectively - with 8.2 per cent better fuel consumption at 9.8l/100km.The "entry-level" S-Class sits on 19in wheels (which fill the wheelarches out nicely) but controlling the wheel/tyre package is the electronically-controlled air suspension system, which is teamed with an adaptive damping set-up that offers sport or comfort options - the former giving good control while the latter doesn't turn it into a wallower either.The standard air-suspension system automatically levels the car and at high speed reduces the ride height automatically. The S350 also has LED tail lights, active brake lights, hi-beam assist for the bi-xenon head lights.The front infotainment centre screen also has a clever Split View feature, which allows the DVD player to be viewed by passengers, but the driver only gets soundtrack and the normal display.Striking in its design, the slightly-angular look is not pretty but it has presence, while still managing to downplay the rather considerable dimensions of the S350.Sharper than the previous S-Class, which had rounded edges galore, the new car still has some softer corners - but anyone who thought the old looked as though it was shaken from a jelly mould would be happier with the current car.The interior is spacious without being cavernous (the LWB version takes that cake with ease) so four adults will be spaciously and comfortably accommodated - including luggage in the 560-litre boot.The S-Class has the now-expected full crumple zones and a count of nine airbags - dual front, side and full-length window airbag's, driver's knee airbag. The braking system has the long list of de rigeur features - anti-lock system, stability control, hill start assist, brake hold and drying function. The electronic assistance doesn't end there - the S has Distronic Plus, which keeps and eye on things in case the driver's attention wanders. There are a number of systems on duty - the active blind spot system monitors the area behind the car, including the blind spots, which turns the triangle in the mirror red if a vehicle is detected - change lanes on a red signal and the car ticks you off, or if there's a collision risk, the system can intervene using the brakes to grab one wheel and return the car from whence it came.The active lane keeping system uses the same means - taking information monitoring road markings - drifting across lane or other road markings can elicit a vibration on the wheel as a warning, or it can brake the appropriate wheel to keep the car centred.The S-Class has Presafe (the system that prepares the car for an impending impact) but there's also BAS Plus Brake Assist, which first warns the driver and then can automatically brake the car if radar sensors identify a possible collision - if the driver does eventually hit the brakes, the system will summon up the required brake force.The German car maker did a survey a while back that showed S-Class drivers were more relaxed and had a lower heart rate while driving. It's not hard to see why (although I'm not sure that applies to an S63 or S65 AMG driver) but directing the big sedan is anything but a chore.Normally I'm considered - at the very least - a pro-active driver, but the S-Class' relaxed demeanour permeates the driver - a relaxed, gentle pace is the big Merc's chosen canter. The car defaults to Eco mode for the seven-speed auto, slipping quietly between ratios, while in Comfort mode the suspension keeps disturbances in the cabin to a minimum.The three-year old has been known to resist a mid-afternoon nap but has found it difficult to avoid a snooze, such is the calmness within. It does require a genteel pace into corners in this mode, as it will lean a little, something the Sport mode counteracts a little more efficiently as you'd expect - pressing ahead on a country road, the big sedan covers ground with aplomb.The new V6 has been endowed with a little more character, as well as added pep - it sounds happier than the old V6 Merc powerplant, which didn't rate aurally or in application. Given it's propelling two tonne around it does an admirable job (0-100km/h is achieved in a claimed 6.9 seconds).The high-beam assist is helpful and useful, but not infallible - sometimes it picked up on the reflection from signage and then fails to register the lights of other vehicles, although the occurrences were rare. The infotainment system offers good quality sound, connectivity and data access, but on more than one occasion decided to shutdown and restart for no apparent reason.

It's amazing to think a car of this size consumes less fuel than your average hatchback. It seems impossible.The heart of the matter is a new direct injection 3.0-litre V6 turbo diesel that pumps out 190kW of power and an impressive 620Nm of torque from a low 1600 revs. That's almost as much torque as the 4.7-litre V8 S500 and it shows in the effortless way the car performs.In spite of this, few of Benz's customers at the upper end of the luxury market opt for the diesel. And, why would they, when the cost of fuel is probably not a major consideration, not when you can afford the $200,000 or so for an S-Class in the first place?In terms of power and torque, the S350 BlueTEC outguns the opposition in the shape of Audi's A8 3.0 TDI and the BMW 730d.But the S350 is still heavier than both and, as such, consumes more fuel and produces slightly more C02 than its two competitors.The lighter, aluminium bodied A8 is also quicker from 0 to 100km/h, at 6.1 seconds versus the Benz's 7.1 and the BMW's 7.2 seconds.The diesel is hooked up to a seven-speed sequential auto and rides on Airmatic air- cushioned suspension.We put in a couple of hundred kilometres behind the wheel of the S350 BlueTEC, and found the 3.0-litre V6 is so quiet you wouldn't know you were driving a diesel unless someone told you.With 620Nm of torque, it gets going quickly and mid-range response is strong, making overtaking is a breeze. But, with close to two tonnes of motor car behind it, throttle response is not immediate — not like the AMG.At 7.0 litres/100km, the combined fuel consumption represents an 11 percent improvement on the previous engine. The air suspension is a bit floaty for our liking, but switching to sport mode fixes that up.All in all, we found the car much improved and a more enjoyable drive than before. While it comes with just about every conceivable luxury, it still won't park itself like some cheaper cars.It will identify if a parking space is suitable and guide the driver into the spot, but you are still required to turn the wheel. The problem is finding an electric motor that is strong enough yet small enough to do the job. Also of interest is reservoir hidden under the spare in the boot.It contains 27 litres of an additive that is injected into the exhaust process to reduce the amount of nitrogen released into the atmosphere. There's enough to cover 20,000km, so it doesn't need to be topped up between services — but it means you get a smaller, space saver spare wheel.

ARE you having guilty dreams of luxurious, spacious and performance-oriented saloons and want to wake up? Mercedes-Benz this week rang the alarm clock on its new limousine that beats the Corolla at the bowser and most other cars in a traffic-light sprint.It claims its new S-Class addition - the S350 BlueTec - gets a fuel consumption average of only 7.0 litres/100km and CO2 emissions of 185 grams per kilometre. It is the first car in Australia to better the ultra-stringent Euro-6 emission regulations - and I mean stringent because Australia is yet to even confirm adoption of Euro-5.Yet the V6 turbo-diesel is satisfyingly quick, running to 100km/h from rest in only 7.1 seconds.  But it has another ooh-aah moment - it's the cheapest S-Class simply because its fuel economy figure puts it in a favourable tax bracket.Its 7 l/100km economy means the Federal Government's 33 per cent luxury car tax doesn't kick in until the $75,000 mark. Cars that don't meet that target get the LCT hit from about $57,000.Mercedes-Benz Australia boss Horst von Sanden says that cuts $7122 off the price. Yes, at $213,428 the S350 BlueTec still isn't cheap. It's just that while buyers warm themselves in the knowledge that they're doing their bit for the planet, they've also reduced their payout and took a financial swipe at the government coffers.Mr Von Sanden expects the S350 BlueTec and its petrol-fuelled sister, the S350 Blue Efficiency that has an all-new engine, will boost S-Class sales by about 10 per cent this year. Last year, about 240 S-Class cars were sold.VALUEThe launch of the 2011 model S-Class includes the two 350 models plus the 320kW/700Nm 4.7-litre bi-turbo V8 S500 (from $296,975) and 380kW/830Nm 5.5-litre bi-turbo V12 S600 (from $412,000) plus the even more awesome S63 and S65 machines.TECHNOLOGYIn the scheme of things, the S-Class is small bickies. But the model is a vital role model for the rest of the Mercedes Range. What big brother S-Class gets as standard equipment - from life-saving technology to clearer audio speakers - flows down over time to the lesser models.That BlueTec engine technology - with its weeny emission level and uncompromised balance of performance and fuel efficiency - is destined for lesser things within models including the new B-Class (next year) and the staple C-Class range.The technology is simple: It adds ammonia via a 27-litre tank to the exhaust system. This reacts with the outgoing nitrogen oxides to produce water and nitrogen gas, ridding the air of nitrous oxides and the diesel's visible hydrocarbon soot.  Mercedes says the ammonia tank lasts 20,000km-plus and is topped up at each service. "The S-Class remains at the pinnacle of technology," von Sanden says.  "It is the technology leader and there's no way we will change that.  But despite reducing emissions and fuel consumption, we are not sacrificing any other of our hallmarks including performance and comfort."DESIGNInside and out, the S-Class retains the almost aloof lines of the flagship Mercedes Benz. It is a restrained style, one that doesn't quite turn heads yet carries a subtle message of wealth. People who need to know that you carry a bit more than a blue Visa card will get the message.Standard equipment across the board now includes active lane keeping (warning via steering wheel pulses if the car touches the road lines), active blind spot assist (warns of vehicles in the driver's blind spots); minimum of 19-inch alloy wheels and included among the options, the traffic update system SUNA that starts this month.DRIVINGThe S350 BlueTec turbo-diesel shows virtually none of the signs of being an oil burner. It is unerringly quiet at idle and rises up the rev counter with such smoothness and silence that it is extremely unlikely anyone would pick its engine type.It gets a seven-speed automatic with paddle shifters for those who need something extra. But the car doesn't need much extra.  Despite its near-2-tonne weight, it is agile and responsive. Shown a fast turn in the country it will bite down on its air suspension and pick its line with a flat body stance and firm yet uncomplaining steering feel.Impressive is the way the 620Nm of torque can be fed through to the rear wheels at mid corner, producing a forceful push as the car exits.  The torque peak arrives at a mere 1600rpm and starts to drift downwards only from 2400rpm, leaving a fat margin in which the big car delivers its best and most enjoyable performance.Above that, it is so comfortable. Mercedes seats are firm yet supportive - note that the rear seats feel softer - and that keeps the body intact while having fun through the bends.The S350 Blue Efficiency - that's the 3.5-litre V6 petrol - gets an all-new engine. Technically there have been huge changes. On the road these translate into improved quietness and smoothness.  It's better again than the diesel, but not by much.Notable was that despite its cleanly delivered power, it couldn't come near that locomotive thrust of the diesel when driving through hilly country.  City folk who potter around the town would probably stay with the petrol version, probably through habit because the diesel offers so much more including its huge range before refuelling.MERCEDES-BENZ S-CLASSModels: S350 BlueTec; S350 Blue Efficiency; S500; S600 Prices (respectively): $213,428; $220,650; $296,975; $412,000Engines: 3-litre V6 turbo-diesel; 3.5-litre V6 petrol; 4.7-litre V8 bi-turbo petrol; 5.5-litre V12 bi-turbo petrolOutput: 190kW/620Nm; 225kW/370Nm; 320kW/700Nm; 380kW/830NmEconomy: 7.0 l/100km; 9.0 l/100km; 10.5 l/100km; n/aTransmissions: 7-speed auto

That is, as long as that buyer is not in Australia. The 220kW, 7.9-litres/100km limousine with a mere 186g/km CO2 emission level powers Mercedes-Benz into a new era of luxury.But the most disappointing feature of the S400 – Mercedes’ first production hybrid and the world’s first production hybrid with lithium-ion batteries — is that there are no current plans for a right-hand drive version.The closest one for which Mercedes would speculate about a right-drive model is for the next generation S-Class, due in 2012.That’s a long time to wait for a car, especially one that has only just been released in its home market.The disappointment showed on my face on a run in the car through Germany’s Black Forest region, where the undulating and twisting narrow roads have no patience for weak engines. The relatively modest 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine is usually starved of brisk off-the-mark sprints, weighed down by the S-Class 1.9-tonne mass and its own leisurely power output.But mated with a n electric motor, situated between the engine and the seven-speed automatic gearbox, it becomes subtly more responsive and with a big boost to low-end delivery.As it caught the evening traffic snarl out of Stuttgart, it switched off its engine when stationary to save fuel. I had expected it to crawl forward with the snail’s pace of the traffic, quietly using only its motor in a similar fashion to the Lexus and Toyota Prius. But it didn’t, instead always silently starting the engine and letting petrol fuel the ride.The lithium-ion batteries are considerably smaller — about 10 per cent of the size and weight — than its rivals. But they may also be less powerful to act as stand-alone power.The battery box sits under the bonnet so there’s no change to the luggage area in design, layout and available space. That is a big bonus compared with its rivals that use the bigger, heavier metal-hydride batteries.Why has Mercedes-Benz grasped the hybrid concept and set it free in its latest S-Class saloon? Simply because it believes performance and luxury can co-exist with a more environmentally-conscious powerplant.In wheeling out the S400 Hybrid, Mercedes takes on Lexus and for the future, a potential stream of upmarket rivals.It will lead to more hybrid examples and, within two years a diesel-hybrid version that promises much greater emission and fuel use reductions, predicts the company’s high-voltage energy manager Dr Martin Hermsen.So impressive is the S400 Hybrid that it overshadowed the concurrent launch of the 2009 S-Class make-over model. This is the car that leads into the 2012 next generation model.For Australia, the S400 will be only a dream. But eight models will lead the S-Class into the Australian market starting in August with the S350 and S500 petrol-engine versions. These will be followed by the S350 CDI turbo-diesel, the S350 and S500 long wheelbase versions, then the S600, S63 and S65.Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy says prices will remain about the same as the current range.In a similar vein, little has changed about the 2009 S-Class in comparison to the outgoing series. Yes, a closer look sees restyled head and tail lights, a new grille and mirrors.New systems are included inside the car and theres new technology such as the split-image monitor that allows the driver to see the satellite navigation map while the front passenger enjoys a movie.The S-Class is still a big car yet retains a conservative style that lures a mature market. Undoubtedly, it’s impressive and — as the S-Class has since 1951 — speaks without words about the importance of its owner.

But as expected, the big Benz, brimming with high tech equipment, snubbed its nose and pressed on as if nothing out of the ordinary was taking place.That is the essence of this car – it's a cut above, and Benz makes no bones about the fact equipping the new model with all the clever technology at its disposal and luxury features designed to make driving almost a seminal experience.Now in its eighth generation spanning fifty years, the iconic Mercedes-Benz S-Class has slipped up a cog with a brace of new engines, a new look and more of pretty well everything that defines the model.Three engines will eventually be offered here: a 5.4-litre, 285kW/530Nm V8, followed by a 3.5-litre, 200kW/350Nm V6 and then a mighty 5.5-litre, twin turbo V12 with 380Nm/ 830Nm output. Mercedes-Benz Australia also has the 3.2-litre turbo diesel V6 under consideration.These engines are used across the Benz range.The modelsare designated S350, S500 and S600 and though prices were not available at the international press preview drive, talk of an eight per cent price rise was bandied about. That would make the starting point for the V6 around $180,000.A seven speed automatic transmission is standard throughout as is ESP (Electronic Stability Program) and air suspension.Air suspension is worthy of special mention because the suspension gives the big Benz a superb feel in terms of ride, comfort and control. It is much more "connected" than the previous model.Weighing close to two tonnes even in S350 form, the new S-Class defies its bulk giving a sporty,"solid" feel. This is accentuated by the steering and other dynamics.It's a big, agile car to drive, not be driven in.Though appearing smaller, the new model is actually larger all round offering more room inside and a bigger boot.Few if any parts carry over and the styling is more aggressive with pronounced wheel arches, high top boot lid, curving roof turret line and imposing grille. Benz designers laughingly describe the look as "discrete elegance."Interior noise levels are eerily quiet apart from some exhaust burble under hard acceler- ation.The interior itself is in a more modern idiom with graceful lines interspersed with high tech materials and equipment.A "Command Control" system looks after many in car functions and also chassis dynamics. It is relatively simple to use from one centre console mounted pivoting knob.Little is left off the standard equipment list but plenty of options are available to "tailor" the S-Class.The most interesting is Night View Assist – an infrared vision system that is said to increase safety at night. It gives a clear image on a screen in the instrument pod many metres in front of the headlights.The system is linked to the radar modulated cruise control system and other electronic systems on the S-Class.Driving the big Benz is rewarding particularly with the multi mode seven-speed auto taking car of business. The S500 has strident performance and is never lacking in response. It sounds superb and can run relatively economically when cruising.The S350 is similarly rewarding but with a little less kick in the tail.And of course it's comfortable: one car was fitted with adaptive seats that actually "hug" driver and passenger to counteract cornering forces. They could be standard on all Aust- ralian models.All ancillary equipment is first rate - the audio, climate control, seats, materials. One car even had an automatic boot closer and a glass roof option is available.The new S-Class will be here early next year.