Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2000 News

Tired of returning to hot car? You need one that cools itself before you get in it. A day at the beach no longer means returning to a stifling hot car and seats that can burn the back of your legs. A new smartphone app can switch on the air-conditioning up to 10 minutes before you're ready to get in the car. There is just one catch: for now the technology is only available on a Mercedes-Benz limousine that's expected to cost $310,000 when it goes on sale next year. But it will be available on more affordable models within two years. The feature is standard on the company's first ever plug-in hybrid car, the Mercedes-Benz S500 Plug-In Hybrid. It can travel 33km on battery power alone before the petrol engine takes over for a further 800km of driving. The technology has created a new dilemma: save the planet with petrol-free driving range, or save your skin?  The same car also has technology that teaches you how to drive economically.  A radar system can tell if you're too close to the car in front and will 'pulse' the accelerator pedal to tell you to back off.  "As our flagship model, the S-Class always has our leading technology but you will these features on other models over time," said Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesman David McCarthy.The Mercedes-Benz S500 is not the first car to cool itself, however. In the 1990s Mazda introduced a car with solar panels in the sunroof to keep the car cool while parked. Mazda abandoned the technology, but Toyota reintroduced it on the most expensive version of the latest Prius hybrid introduced five years ago. However, unlike the Mercedes system, the Toyota Prius keeps the cabin at an ambient temperature whereas the Mercedes will cool the car to a chill.

Mercedes-Benz has retraced the steps of the first car journey -- when Berth Benz set off in her husband's new invention -- with an autonomous S500. Watch video here.

The death of $1 million-and-more Maybach has opened the door for a wide range of new S-Class based luxury Benzes. The all-new S-Class that hits Australia late this year is now the starting point for everything from a new-style S-Class coupe to a fully-armoured flagship and a six-door Pullman model. Some of the cars have already been caught testing in Europe and will soon be put through a sign-off drive in the US led by the chairman of Damiler, Dr Dieter Zetsche, around the upscale Los Angles and Palm Springs regions. The first of the newcomers expected in showrooms is a very long-wheelbase S-Class that moves directly into Maybach territory, but likely with similar equipment and a pricetag less than half of the failed flagship. There were two Maybach models, the 57 and 62 named after their lengths in decimetres, but they failed to fire against the hulking Rolls-Royce Phantom and were also shunned by shoppers who also preferred the idea of a Pullman with a three-pointed star. “We are flat-out now working on the derivatives. We have a full order book for the next four years,” the head of overall S-Class testing, Uwe Hornig, tells Carsguide at the press preview of the S-Class in Canada. “Yes, there is a coupe and a Pullman.” The extra-long S-Class never really went away, but was put into the background begin the Maybach and mostly supplied with a full ‘armour’ protection package. A bulletproof S-Class is already ready for action as Benz begins a rollout that includes a range of hybrids and development on a self-driving car that uses sensors which already ensure the car will stay inside its lane on well-marked freeways. The flagship hybrid will be presented in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with a plug-in package that drops fuel consumption to little more than 3 litres/100km. “The S-Class… is also an important pacesetter on the road to local zero-emissions driving,” says Dr Uwe Ernstberger, vice-president of the S-Class development program. “The S500 plug-in hybrid will be the first luxury sedan in the world to emit less than 75 grams of CO2 per kilometre. Plus, we already have prototypes that can drive far more autonomously than is currently permitted on public roads.”  

The launch of the S320 CDI Mercedes will match Audi's A8 diesel at the luxury end of the sedan market as the once-industrial fuel continues its make-over into the mainstream as the green fuel of choice. Within the next 18 months, BMW will complete the luxury set when it launches an oil-burner in its new 7 Series range-topper. While European customers have been able to buy the luxury oilers for some time, Australia's traditionally poor diesel fuel quality has kept the latest of the high-tech diesels out of the local market. The decision by Mercedes – while still unable to offer its technology-leading BlueTEC diesel system in Australia – takes the luxury diesel argument to the next level. The S320 CDI utilises the same 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6 from the ML and GL off-roaders, albeit retuned to produce a healthy 173kW of power and 540Nm of torque. At the heart of the improved performance and luxury NVH levels is the use of piezo-ceramic injectors. The technology is not new to Australia but combined with the third generation direct-rail injection and a diesel particulate filter, the engine now meets the tough Euro-4 emission regulations. The advantage of the piezo technology is the speed and precision with which the jets can deliver five injections of ultra-fine fuel spray every power stroke at peak pressure of up to 1600 bar. Managing the entire operation is a newly-developed ECU (electronic control unit) co-ordinating the quick-start glow system, automatic start function, high pressure fuel pump, variable nozzle turbines with electronically adjustable blades, exhaust gas recirculation and air intake regulation. That means better efficiency, less emissions and a generally smoother operation. All of which fits nicely with the S-Class ethos. As befits a car at the expensive end of the range, the diesel S-Class has all the bells and whistles featured in the petrol models, including the seven-speed automatic. The pre-safe crash modification system, airmatic suspension, active bi-xenon headlights, hill assist and a brake disc drying capability are all standard fare.You can add the distronic-plus cruise control, active contour seats, a Logic 7 sound system and infrared night view capability. Quite possibly the nicest thing you can say about the S320 CDi is that you really can't tell that it is an S320 CDi. Apart from the tacho that peaks just over 4000rpm and its massive mid-range torque, there is very little about cruising in the S320 that sets it apart from the petrol V6. Not even the price. Mercedes has done what most manufacturers find impossible – price parity between diesel and petrol models. The S320 CDI is available now for $190,900.