Mercedes-Benz’s flagship has been rewarded with accolades and appreciation for a long time now. The latest 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is all set to take the legacy forward with its most advanced tech features. Although SUVs have become a preferred segment for most revheads out there, there’s no doubt in the fact that the S-Class has made its specific space in the hearts of the car enthusiasts as Mercedes’ flagship model. The S-Class has served as a display of brilliant tech features amongst a line of range-topping luxury Sedans.
Ever since the S-Class came into being, Mercedes has been boasting of innovations one after the other. Some of the worth mentioning ones include anti-lock brakes introduced in the 1981 model of the S-Class, stability control incorporated in the 1995 model, radar cruise control introduced in the 1998 model, and all-LED exterior lighting introduced in the 2013 model.
Most of the alterations brought about in the Mercedes-Benz have been highly appreciated. However, it’s hard to forget the parking wands erected on the rear corner in the 1991 model from the W140 generation. It was done to make parking easy for the muscular crossover.
While the all-new 2021 Mercedes-Benz interior boasts a plethora of appreciable features, what’s missing is always highlighted the most. The S-Class doesn’t have the preciseness and boldness that is expected of a Mercedes-Benz. The new generation of the Benz is not bristling with power and lacks majorly in its predecessor’s detailing, power, and even some particular features such as smaller headlights or taillights.
Another lack to consider before we move on to the pros of the car is the structural aura of the car. Compared to its old version that had excessive weight to carry upon its shoulders, the new version of S-Class doesn’t come out too flashy but offers you structural balance to its optimum. Mercedes takes pride in delivering a refined version of the S-Class in 2021 with upgraded efficiency that it tends to forget the shortcomings too quickly.
The door handles of the car match with Tesla’s door handles and pop up attractively when the car is unlocked via a smart key or manually. Inside the cabin, a 12.8-inch touch-sensitive OLED screen graces the dashboard just like the Tesla. Apart from driving, the OLED becomes your interface to access other functions of the car efficiently. It comes out like a laptop on the center console. It helps you with climate control too. Most of Mercedes’ cabin has been adorned with tech that makes it the most tech advanced car.
The S-Class that came at the end had a mechanical clock and four machined air vents, all of which has been replaced by the glass interface. The rest of the cabin has been crafted with wooden trim and wall-to-wall hide along with configurable LED lighting across the interior panels. If you want to change driver profiles often, there’s a fingerprint sensor for that as well.
The US market will come out with two versions initially: the S500 and the S580. The S500 is packed with a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine generating a wondrous 429 horses and the S580 comes with a 4.0-liter V8 engine generating even better horses of 496. Both these engines have been backed by a 48-volt hybrid. With the S-Class, if you take a drive on a long stretch even if to test the vehicle, you won’t need a speed limiter to stop you. It has a high level of velocity, which efficiently demonstrates the Benz’ noise insulation capability.
If you take the car at 80 mph, the noise from the traffic gets silenced by the windows’ dual panes. Only when you take the car above 140 mph do you start to feel the noise of the wind from the top of the doors. Talking of sounds, the V8 engine doesn’t emit much noise even if you drive the car at full acceleration. Even if you choose the belligerent mode, the Sport Plus Dynamic, the engine doesn’t let its presence be felt. Though the Sport Plus doesn’t go with the opulence and aura of the S-Class, it pretty much upgrades the car’s dynamism to an extent. The V8 keeps itself distant with all modes. In the same Sport Plus mode, the Benz gets 0.7-inch lower but that doesn’t much affect the quality of the ride.
The car’s suspension has been fabricated to cater to the comfort of the occupants, with additional adaptive dampers and air suspension standard capabilities.
If you go for the E-Active Body Control system, you get the active anti-roll system as well as the road scanning camera. The anti-roll system is backed by a hydraulic system that runs through the 48-volt pump. This aids in controlling the body roll and gives a certain amount of grip to the driver. The Curve mode gives you an experience of a motorbike when you take turns in the car, which is cool because it’s quite rare with a Mercedes-Benz but the S-Class makes it possible for you. When on dry tarmac, you get a 4Matic all-wheel-drive setup as standard and it delivers unbreakable traction.
When driven at a low speed, the S580 came out with something new. It showed up a new rear axle steer system that helps turn the rear wheels surprisingly to 10 degrees reducing the turning circle of the wheelbase to 35.7 feet. It also helps the car maneuver impressively. If you get the Executive Line pack, you also get a 10-degree axle system along with it. Besides, the AMG Line trim is available with both the engines and delivers a 39.0-foot turning circle to the car.
The S-Class has been engineered to become an autonomous crossover in the auto sector. The Drive Pilot smart cruise control in the Mercedes helps regulate the distance and stay within the lanes. It also handles the highway traffic well by providing smooth control and automatic speed regulation.
Much of the S-Class is all about remaining stuck with new technology such as the augmented reality navigation (something you must have seen in the GLE and the E-Class), the ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice assistant. Here’s something cool for you. Tell the car that you are stressed or feeling upset, it will give you a massage program. What better can one ask from an automobile, after all?
The Mercedes-Benz also boasts a new version of the MBUX infotainment system that claims to have enhanced the processing power to 50%. There’s a 12.3-inch dashboard screen that has a 3D display capability that gives your eyes a soothing image with greater depths. Switch the dash to navigation and you’ll get to see the relief map. But it’s just a map, so one shouldn’t get too excited about it.
If the revheads go for a small engine, in the entry-level S500, they won’t be compromising much on the performance or even the driving experience. The electrically driven supercharger and electric motor-generator contribute to enhancing the horses and torque that the car generates.
Both the stellar will be available for Americans by the mid of 2021. There’ll be a plethora of packages to choose from, and amazing standard specifications such as the OLED dashboard interface, a full suite of driver-assistance systems, Burmeister audio, and more. Some other versions of the car will come forth with a plug-in hybrid V8 engine. Nonetheless, the current Mercedes-Benz S-Class keeps up with its reputation and stands at a pedestal as the most tech advanced car in the world.
