New Mercedes S-Class aims to redefine the luxury saloon for 2020 and beyond

This is the all-new Mercedes S-Course – the seventh-generation of the Mercedes’ flagship model and solution to the new Audi A8, the up to date BMW 7 Sequence and upmarket Bentley Flying Spur. 

Mercedes helps make a easy but bold assert about the newest S-Course, that it is ‘‘the best car in the world’. It goes on sale in Europe in December, with industry launches in the United states and China pursuing in February 2021. 

New 2020 Mercedes S-Course: structure and platform

The new S-Course is the initially Mercedes to be dependent on a new generation of the firm’s MRA platform for saloon cars and trucks. It indicates that together with the model’s classic fastidious solution to luxury and ease and comfort, this new car is an important milestone for the firm – it will come with a technological revolution within the cabin, that will established the tone for the future-generation versions of the C-Course and E-Course. 

Mercedes has verified two versions for the European industry – normal wheelbase and a prolonged wheelbase. The normal car dimensions up at 5,179mm prolonged, meaning it has developed by close to 54mm. Step up to the prolonged wheelbase model, and the car measures 5,289mm nose to tail. In equally instances, the positive aspects of the progress spurt are located in the back again, with equally cars and trucks fielding more legroom and headroom than right before, as well as even larger boots, equally up by twenty litres to 550 litres. 

Mercedes claims the new S-Course is the most opulent expression of the brand’s newest saloon structure language the grille is greater and more upright than right before, and is now flanked by new Multibeam LED headlights, which are now readily available with projector beams as aspect of the new Electronic Light-weight system. The set up can task shapes and symbols onto the road forward, warning the driver of hazards this sort of as roadworks, targeted traffic lights, pedestrians, and capable of projecting lane guidelines much too.

The sides of the car are smoother, though flush doorway handles are readily available as an choice. The rear conclude is described by a pair of triangular tail lights, joined by a chrome strip the total condition is more aerodynamic than right before, not only aiding gasoline financial state, but lessening wind sound drastically much too. 

This time round there will be no Coupe or Cabriolet versions, with the S-Course to be stored strictly in limousine form variable. Alongside the normal and prolonged-wheelbase versions of the car, an extended wheelbase Maybach badged variant will look later, described by R&D manager Markus Schafer as “very differentiated” and a massive stage forward for the brand’s Maybach products. 

Interior and engineering

The most radical structure modifications are reserved for the cabin, where the S-Course characteristics an all-new interior architecture centred close to a new, next-generation MBUX infotainment system. 

It is difficult to overlook the new central exhibit, using smartphone high-quality OLED display engineering and haptic opinions. It is twelve.8-inches in dimension and portrait in orientation, flowing instantly into the new-glance centre console and sitting down on top of a dashboard with a new, flat airplane area functioning from one particular facet of the car to the other. It will come with a new user interface and is suitable with over-the-air update engineering to the S-Course. 

A new electronic instrument panel with genuine 3D result graphics sits in front of the driver, together with a new-glance steering wheel with contact-delicate capabilities. Powering it all is a new head-up-exhibit capable of augmented reality engineering. This indicates warning symbols and prompts, this sort of as instructions from the navigation, can look as if they are remaining projected in 3D instantly onto the avenue. A normal HUD devoid of this engineering is readily available. Completely, the new display-dependent tech indicates Mercedes has taken out 27 buttons from the previous model’s dashboard. 

Up to 3 shows can be fitted in the back again of the S-Course. Two eleven.six-inch touchscreens fixed to the seat backs of the front seats allow rear occupants to surf the internet, test email messages or check out television, though there is also a removable tablet, stored in the folding centre arm relaxation in S-Course variants with 3 rear seats, or in a focused slot on the centre console in two-seat rear bench cars and trucks. 

Mercedes’ Energizing ease and comfort programmes return much too – these are selectable profiles that immediately control the interior ambiance, modifying the ambient lights, air temperature, audio stage and massage opinions based on the profile selected. A new manner even teams up with the massage functionality and a thirty speaker audio set up from Burmeister to make ‘4D’ audio, with more vibration in the seat for minimal bass tones. There are six Energizing programmes for occupants to select from.

MBUX Interior Assistant is a new feature, much too. It uses cameras in the car’s overhead panel to interpret the head, hand and human body actions of these on board and immediately enable corresponding vehicle capabilities and present contextual prompts. For case in point, if the driver reaches over to the passenger seat to grab anything at night time, the gentle above the passenger seat will immediately switch on. Hunting at a facet mirror also permits it to be altered devoid of the want to function a bodily switch. If an occupant tries to exit the car as yet another vehicle ways, the ambient lights will pulse crimson as a warning.

S-Course engines and autonomous driving

Mercedes aims to acquire a stage forward with semi-autonomous driving engineering with the new S-Course, introducing Degree 3 capacity for the initially time. The firm claims that from the next 50 % of 2021, the new S-Course will be capable of ‘hands-off’ autonomous driving on motorways and in targeted traffic jams. The driver will be equipped to test email messages or look through the internet, and the vehicle – in specified circumstances – will be capable of responding to all targeted traffic and any possible collisions. Distant parking support indicates the car can park alone or be summoned from a shorter length by using smartphone. 

New chassis engineering arrives at the double, with rear-wheel steering and 48-volt controlled air suspension Mercedes claims the new rear wheel steering system lessens the turning circle of the S-Course to that of a family hatchback. Optional E-Physique Active Management suspension can elevate one particular facet of the car by up to 80mm right before a facet-on collision, lessening the effect. Airmatic air suspension with frequently adjustable damping is normal devices. 

As for engines, Mercedes has verified a start line-up consisting completely of 3.-litre turbocharged straight-six choices, with two 48-volt assisted petrols and 3 diesels to select from. All cars and trucks use the identical 9-velocity automated gearbox and are electronically restricted to a top velocity of 155mph. 

Petrol electrical power kicks off with the S 450 4MATIC with all-wheel drive. It develops 362bhp and 500Nm torque, propelling the S-Course from -62mph in 5.1 seconds. The S five hundred 4MATIC ups the electrical power to 429bhp, lessening -62mph to 4.9 seconds. 

The preferred S 350 d returns with or devoid of a 4MATIC all-wheel drive, producing 282bhp and 600Nm torque. Mercedes claims that rear-wheel drive versions include -62mph in six.4 seconds, with the 4MATIC system lessening it to six.two seconds. Fuel financial state of up to 44.1mpg is claimed for the S 350 d. Above these two choices is the 325bhp S 400 d, with 700Nm torque and a 5.4 next -62mph time. 

In other places, the brand has verified that V8 electrical power will arrive to the S-Course in 2021 with 48-volt moderate hybrid support, and a petrol plug-in hybrid version capable of up to sixty two miles on electric electrical power only is also in progress, but a diesel plug-in – as is readily available in the E-Course – appears off the cards, with R&D manager Schafer detailing that this sort of a model is not suitable in the S-Class’s enormous Chinese and American markets. A superior-overall performance AMG version is also planned, but no aspects have been verified. 

Mercedes S-Course: trip assessment

Our temporary come upon with the S-Course from the passenger seat reveals that Mercedes’ flagship pushes boundaries as soon as again.

Main engineer Jürgen Weissinger is sitting down at the wheel of his ultimate task right before retirement. In the earlier, he’s been dependable for Merc’s Maybach limousines, but the new S-Course is his farewell existing.

He commences by demonstrating the new rear-axle steering, hauling the limo close to in near-difficult fashion and heading off down the road. The S-Course is eerily peaceful – Merc has even absent as far as finding a new vulcanisation course of action for the rubber window seals in search of perfection.

Our trip is shorter, but we can feeling the craftsmanship that has absent into the car. The interior tech dazzles the seats feature seventeen motors for adjustment and massage, though the MBUX infotainment sets new benchmarks. As for the plug-in hybrid? Weissinger claims he’s managed more than seventy three miles on battery electrical power by yourself.

Now go through our in-depth assessment of the recent Mercedes S-Course below…