2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class: Please Consult the Owner’s Manual

The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is equipped with twenty-odd electronic driving aides with acronyms that would put NASA engineers to shame an – not to mention the fact that it has about a hundred electric motors. It’s no accident that it’s able to “see” a 360-degree view of its surroundings using cameras, radars and ultrasonic sensors and that it can almost drive itself in certain situations. A true technological showpiece for the German manufacturer, the S-Class has reached another milestone in its history with its complexity and degree of refinement.

The 2014 S-Class’ unibody chassis is made of steel and aluminum and helps reduce the weight by as much as 100 kilos – depending on the configuration of the model – compared to the previous generation. Torsional rigidity has been increased by an enormous 50%, and the drag coefficient of 0.24 makes it the most aerodynamically efficient of all luxury cars. For the Canadian market, the only trim available will be the S550 (short or long wheel base) featuring a  4.7-litre twin-turbo V8 that delivers 449 horsepower and 516 lbs-ft of torque, and  4Matic all-wheel drive. The all-wheel drive transmission will also come factory standard on the S63 AMG.

• Also: 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Preview

Conspicuous by its absence

Unfortunately, for whatever reason, the S-Class sold in Canada will be devoid of many interesting technical innovations. The Magic Body Control suspension, for example, will not be available here because it’s incompatible with the 4Matic all-wheel drive. This new device consists of the ABC (Active Body Control) hydraulic suspension, to which the engineers at Mercedes-Benz have added two cameras capable of “reading” the surface of the road and adapting the reactivity of the suspension accordingly. At the worldwide launch of the S-Class in the Toronto region, we test drove a rear-wheel drive version of the S-Class equipped with this system. Going over two bumps that had been tailor-made by the engineers at Mercedes-Benz to demonstrate the Magic Body Control device, the car’s reaction was striking in its efficiency. It was as though the two bumps magically disappeared and the S-Class literally floated above them. However, we also went over several holes, bumps and cracks on some of the regular roads included on our test drive, and the Magic Body Control was much less convincing. This leads us to believe that this system was designed for bumps within a certain size range and not for the kind of imperfections you find on Canadian roads.

The other innovation that you won’t find on the Canadian version of the S-Class is the adaptive lighting system that, as its name suggests, can “sculpt” the beams in real time by using the aforementioned cameras. This system detects when there is a vehicle coming toward you, and then closes part of the beam produced by the LED lights so as not to blind the driver. This system constantly adapts the headlight beams according to driving conditions, and that’s precisely why it will not be offered in Canada. In our country, current rules limit lighting systems to fixed beams for headlights and require that they be able to turn off completely to change to low-beam headlights. It’s yet another case of government regulations not keeping up with the technology!

Safety is the top priority

On the other hand, there are some technological innovations that will accompany the S-Class across the Atlantic, notably an arsenal of electronic driving aides. The Distronic Plus system, for example, is more evolved than before. It helps engage the adaptive cruise control to maintain a safe distance from the preceding vehicle, and helps keep the S-Class in its lane, even if the driver lets go of the wheel for a short period of time.

Lane Keeping Assist can automatically order the wheels on one side of the vehicle to brake selectively, which will keep it in its lane in case the driver is distracted. As for Night View Assist, it uses an infrared camera to detect the presence of pedestrians and animals when driving at night. Night View Assist aims a beam of light directly on pedestrians to make them more visible to the driver. Since the system can distinguish pedestrians from animals, it doesn’t react the same way with animals, since their reaction to light can be unpredictable.

The new and improved Pre-Safe system is now able to detect the presence of pedestrians crossing in front of the S-Class and to automatically engage the brakes and even bring the car to a full stop if necessary. What’s more, this system is also able to detect if the car is going to be hit from behind when stopped at an intersection. When this happens, the taillights start flashing quickly to warn the oncoming driver, the seatbelts tighten to brace for the force of the collision and the brakes are applied to keep the car from going through the intersection upon impact.

Comfort above all
Sitting in the backseat of an S-Class equipped with the optional Executive seats is like sitting in an easy chair with integrated footrest and several massage programmes – including one that simulates a hot stone massage using small airbags. The seats are also heated and air conditioned and even the contact surfaces of the doors are heated to ensure superior comfort. The passengers can control multiple functions and systems using a remote that looks just like the ones you have at home for your T.V. or stereo. Strangely, I was never did figure out how to pair up the MP3 player on my iPhone with the Bluetooth, although I was able connect the telephone function. Moreover, I wasn’t able to control the radio volume with the remote in two of the four cars I tested. That was particularly surprising, especially because the engineers I consulted seemed just as confused as I was.

In front, both driver and passenger face two TFT screens measuring 12 inches in width, displaying the instrumentation and the telematics system. These screens seem to float above the wood panelling, which spans the dashboard and is punctuated by circular air vents. The effect is either very tasteful or highly questionable depending on choice of colour, since the colour schemes of some materials seem geared for the tastes of Russian oligarchs or the nouveau-riche.

Frankfurt, here we come

Mercedes-Benz will take advantage of the Frankfurt Auto Show to launch the rechargeable hybrid S500 powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 and an electric motor supplied by a 8.9 kW/h lithium-ion battery. According to the German manufacturer, it should consume less than 4.0 litres per 100 kilometres. Let’s hope that this model is eventually sold in Canada. For that to happen, the honchos at Mercedes-Benz in the U.S. must first decide to import it to the States, so that it can then make its way here.

You have to expect that a Pullman model, earmarked to replace the defunct Maybach, will soon make its official entrance on the scene, since numerous spy photos of prototypes in development have been leaked. Mercedes-Benz may also build on its four-door cabriolet Ocean Drive concept. We’ll have to just wait and see…