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| Mercedes-Benz
S-Class |
Broadcast
dates : 27th November 2005
3rd December 2005 |
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Mercedes-Benz’s
new S-Class is one of the most important cars the German
manufacturer has launched in the company’s history, which
goes back over a century.
New management is being introduced after a turbulent period
which saw Daimler-Benz merge with Chrysler to form the
DaimlerChrysler corporation.
And over the past decade there has also been a major
corporate-culture shift.
Ever since 1996 with the introduction of the so-called
"four eyes" E-Class model, Mercedes-Benz has been
targeting a new kind of customer.
Gone is the grey-suited, grey-shoe image, and in its place
is a more flamboyant character, just as likely to wear Gucci
and Armani as a three-piece pin-stripe with lace-up brogues.
The S-Class is Mercedes-Benz’s flagship, and Mercedes has
always been world leaders in producing big, fast land-ships
with a blend of performance, safety, and perhaps most
importantly, effortlessness.
The new S has a major act to follow, as the out-going
generation was a near-perfect amalgam of style, speed and
advanced technology.
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With
the new car, Merc’s designers needed to push the
technological envelope even further, and there was also a
conscious decision to create a bolder visual impact.
Hence the pronounced wheel arch flares, dramatically-angled
headlights, prominent taillights, and large-diameter alloy
wheels.
The S-Class heritage goes back to the 1950s, starting with
the charmingly rounded 220-S of 1954. It ranges through
seven distinct series to the new model, the
eighth-generation S-Class.
A feature of the S-Class evolution is its growth in size.
And the latest car is bigger in every respect compared to
the previous model.
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The
first-generation S came in 220 and 220-SE forms, and was
produced between 1954 and 1959.
Wooden dashboards were considered the norm in those days and
horizontal speedometers were fashionable.
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The
second-generation S-Class featured engine sizes from 2,2 to
3,0 litres and introduced conservative German versions of
the American tail fins that were all the rage in the late
1950s.
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In 1965 the
beautiful squared-off S-Class made its debut with
six-cylinder engines and the awesome 6,3 litre V8.
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By the
mid-seventies, the fourth-generation was firmly associated
with V8 power, although six-cylinder models were still
available. In South Africa, the 350-S was the top model and
was on sale here until 1980.
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In 1981 the cat’s-eye
S-Class made its debut here and this was a stunningly
successful car for Mercedes. Engines ranged from a 2,8 litre
six, to a supercar-like 5,6 litre V8 for serious Autobahn
speed.
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No-one really
liked the slab-sided proportions of this sixth-generation
flagship, but it sold remarkably well as it was a
technically superior car.
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The
seventh-generation S-Class, still on sale here, is arguably
the most complete Mercedes ever built, and most experts rate
it as the luxury standard-bearer. Yes, a hard act to follow
indeed!
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Mercedes-Benz
is proud of its pioneering achievements in the fields of
safety and comfort.
The new car has once again grown larger in all important
dimensions and in Europe it will be offered in two wheelbase
sizes with overall lengths of 5 and 5,2 metres.
On the performance front, the new V8 engine has a 26 per
cent increase in power to 285 kilowatts, and 530 Newton
metres of torque. The new S 500 accelerates to a hundred in
just 5,4 seconds.
The top twelve-cylinder S 600 now has 380 kilowatts, and its
V12 engine rockets the massive saloon to a hundred in just
4,6 seconds.
Stylistically, it has to be said, the new S- Class is not
everyone’s cup of Earl Grey.
The flowing canopy roofline has been dramatized in the new
car and this is quite pleasing.
But the exaggerated wheel arch flares give the car an almost
retro look which is quite shocking compared to the
understated elegance of the out-going model.
The new nose is much bolder and also takes a bit of getting
used to, although it’s in keeping with the overall flowing
shape of the car.
To sum it up, it seems as if there’s more Chrysler than
Daimler in the new car’s appearance.
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A side-impact
collision is one of the most dangerous that the occupants of
a car can experience, because of the proximity of the people
to the intruding force.
For the front crumple zone, similar steel alloys are used in
graduated strengths and thicknesses, to provide progressive,
energy-absorbing deformation.
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For
maximum braking safety the new S-Class has an improved
radar-linked system called Brake Assist Plus, which applies
ideal braking force automatically, even if the driver
applies too little pedal pressure.
On the passive safety front, the S-Class is simply loaded
with features. These include eight airbags, with the driver
and front passenger airbags inflating in proportion to the
severity of an impact.
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The
seatbelts feature improved Pre-safe technology which
tensions the seatbelts if a potential accident situation is
detected, such as severe braking or skidding.
The seat cushions are also inflated to support the
occupants, the seat backs are repositioned to prevent sub-marining,
and the head restraints are automatically repositioned.
Continuing the car’s technological Tour de Force in the
fields of safety, Night View Assist is a new Merc system
that premiers in the S-Class.
This system uses additional infrared headlamps to illuminate
the road, extending the driver’s vision.
The advantage of infra-red is that it’s invisible to the
human eye and does not dazzle on-coming drivers.
A windscreen-mounted camera records the road image and
displays it on the instrument cluster.
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The
new techno-marvel S-Class will be coming to South Africa in
2006, and it’s set to make a major impact. Whether you
like the new looks or not, this is probably the most
advanced car on the planet right now.
We can’t wait to sample one.
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