CARS OF THE WORLD

Mercedes-Benz S-Class W223.

The return of the king: everything about the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class W223.

In early September, Mercedes-Benz unveiled a new generation of its flagship 2021 S-Class sedan, the long-awaited premiere of which was preceded by a string of announcements and teasers.

The design team led by Gordon Wagener did not radically change the appearance of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class W223, so the four-door in the new body remained recognizable, although it received a number of point adjustments.

At the front, the new 2021 Mercedes S-Class can be distinguished from its predecessor by its sharper headlights and a different bumper with a wide central air intake (without separate side sections). The main innovation at the stern of the model is the horizontal lanterns (for the first time in the history of the model), which are also triangular in shape.

In profile «Esca» attracts attention with the elongated hood and the rear pillars smoothly flowing into the shoulder line. Plus, the car can boast of an original design of wheels, the size of which in top-end versions reaches 21 inches.

Note that the Germans tried to make the appearance of the S-class W223 as streamlined as possible. As a result, the sedan received retractable door handles (optional) and a more thoughtful shape of the side mirrors. As a result, the coefficient of aerodynamic drag of the novelty was 0.22.

The interior of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class in 2021 attracts attention with a 12.8-inch touchscreen of the updated MBUX multimedia system (previously the monitor was 10.3 ″). This OLED display occupies the entire center console, pleasing the eye with crisp images in natural colors. Directly above it, the Germans placed a neat block of four rectangular ventilation deflectors, although the latter were round on the predecessor.

Note that by default the front panel of the model has a wide decorative overlay made of wood, covered with piano lacquer with white horizontal stripes, but the client can choose a car with a similar insert, but made of carbon.

There are noticeably fewer analog buttons in the Eski’s cabin: the Germans have abandoned 27 keys and switches at once. It is now proposed to manage their functionality from the aforementioned multimedia touchscreen, as well as using separate touchpads or a voice command system, which has learned to recognize up to 27 languages.

The sedan’s dashboard is virtual and uses a 12.3-inch screen to display information with four graphic presets: Discreet, Sporty, Exclusive and Classic. Plus, a head-up display is also placed right in front of the driver, which in expensive versions of the model also has an augmented reality system that displays navigation tips on the windshield in real time.

In addition, three more displays can be installed in the passenger compartment. They are for the second row of seats and are optional. Two of them measure 11.6 inches and are mounted on the backs of the front seats, while the third is a removable 7.0-inch tablet located on the center armrest.

Interestingly, the driver and front passenger can activate personal profiles with their own settings by interacting with the MBUX touchscreen. For this, rear passengers will have to use the voice command system. In total, up to seven such profiles can be saved.

As for the landing, then for the second row, five seat options are offered at once. This can be either the usual three-seater sofa, or optional separate armchairs with pull-out ottomans and neck warmers. The most advanced version flaunts electric adjustments in 12 directions, which means that a person of almost any build can comfortably fit in them.

Already in the base, the S-Class W223 in the new body is equipped with dual-zone climate control, using 17 stepper motors to regulate air flows. The more advanced version of the car is completely equipped with four-zone climate control, which has 20 more such electric motors in the rear of the cabin.

Separately, it is worth noting the presence of ambient lighting in the new «esque» — here it is made in the form of a 16-millimeter strip passing through the entire front panel and doors, and each of its blocks contains 250 LEDs.

The latter change color with various actions and commands (for example, they turn red when the emergency braking system is activated or when you try to open doors in dangerous proximity to a passing car). The Germans report that the brightness of such a backlight in the model of the new generation was immediately increased 10 times, and now it is clearly visible even on a sunny day.

Sedan Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2021 model year is built on the basis of a new modular platform, which has a classic layout with an expanded use of unified units and components.

The overall length of the sedan is 5 210 mm (+ 94), the wheelbase remains the same (3 106), the width is 1 954 (+ 55), the height is 1 503 (+ 9), the volume of the trunk is declared — 550 liters (+ 20) … At the same time, the Long wheelbase version was presented, which stretched from stern to bow by 5 320 mm, and its wheelbase is 3 216 millimeters.

At the start of sales, without exception, all versions of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class W223 will be offered with in-line «turbo six». There are two petrol modifications, both of which have a 3.0-liter engine by default. The basic version is the S 450, the engine of which produces 367 forces (500 Nm), but on the S 500 it is boosted to 435 «horses» and 520 Nm of torque.

Interestingly, both petrol modifications have a hybrid appendage in the form of a 22 hp EQ Boost starter-generator powered by a 48-volt power grid. and 250 Nm. It connects to work when starting off.

As for diesels, the S 350 d version is equipped with a 2.9-liter engine with 286 hp. (600 Nm), and on the S 400 d version, the same motor produces 330 forces and 700 Nm of torque.

All modifications are equipped with a nine-speed automatic 9G-Tronic. In terms of drive, the initial diesel version can be ordered with either 4Matic rear or all-wheel drive, while all other versions have four-wheel drive by default.

Over time, the range of modifications available for the new S-Class will be expanded by adding versions with V8. Plus, a full-fledged rechargeable hybrid is in development, which will be able to drive up to 100 km on electric traction alone, and in some markets (for example, in China) the flagship sedan can be ordered with four-cylinder engines.

As for the top-end V12, the Germans do not plan to give it up, and in the future this engine will receive top-end Guard and Maybach versions, while the «charged» S 65 will no longer be in the lineup.

By default, the flagship sedan has a standard air suspension, and for a surcharge, the car can be ordered with the E-Active Body Control active hydropneumatic suspension, which was previously received by the GLE and GLS crossovers. The latter operates on a 48-volt sub-mains and can drive each wheel individually.

On the new S-class W223, it works in tandem with the Pre-Safe Impulse Side complex and in the event of a side collision threat, it can lift the body a fraction of a second before contact, thereby minimizing the risk of injury to passengers.

In addition, the Mercedes S-Class 2021 can be ordered with swivel rear wheels, and there are two options for a fully steered chassis to choose from: in the first case, electric actuators turn the rear wheels by 4.5 degrees, and in the second — by 10.0. In the latter case, the turning diameter of the model is reduced immediately by two meters, which means that the long wheelbase version will need less than 11 meters to complete a full turn.

It should also be noted that at a speed of 60 km / h and above, the rear wheels of cars with a fully steered chassis turn in the same direction as the front ones, due to which higher stability is achieved on the move.

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class W223 is the first model of the German brand to be launched at the new Factory 56 in Sindelfingen. In Germany, accepting orders for the model will open in mid-September 2020, but the shipment of finished cars to customers will not begin until December. The cost of the sedan has not yet been announced, however, most likely, the car will be somewhat more expensive than its predecessor.