The armoured Mercedes-Benz S 680 Guard 4Matic is the safest iteration of the German carmaker’s luxury saloon that starts in India at Rs. 2.17 Crore, ex-showroom
Buying a Mercedes-Benz S-Class requires quite some money. At least, Rs. 2.17 Crore in India. While the luxury saloon scores high in keeping its occupants safe from a crash, it cannot keep them away from an armed attack. Well, to keep the riches and important ones safe, Mercedes-Benz has just silently revealed the S 680 Guard 4MATIC. For starters, it is a bulletproof iteration of the S-Class.
For the geeks, the armoured version is said to have the highest level of ballistic protection that a civilian vehicle can come with; VPAM VR10 level certification for protection. In simpler words, it can keep the occupants safe from small firearm attacks and even explosions. This is, however, based on the long-wheelbase model of the S-Class.
Learning about specifics, the windows are multi-layered and made of polycarbonate with a thickness of 10 centimetres. To ensure they continue to work even after the car encounters an electronic failure, they are hydraulic-powered units. Moreover, escaping an attack is referred to as the best way to avoid one. Therefore, the S 680 Guard 4Matic employs run-flat tires from Michelin, capable of covering 30 kilometres after a puncture.
The interior looks very much like the regular model. Nevertheless, it gets a handful of extra equipment, only to keep the occupants safe, namely a fire extinguisher and a built-in Oxygen tank. The leather-draped cabin continues to be extravagantly plush and sumptuous with wood trims and high-tech displays onboard.
With the added equipment and protection, the weight of the luxury saloon has drastically increased, making it tip the scale at 4.2 tonnes. Well, being almost 2 times heavier than the regular S-Class, it also receives a recalibrated steering system and braking setup.
Powering the wheels of the S 680 Guard 4Matic is a 6.0L V12 petrol engine, breathing via two turbochargers. It also develops big numbers – 604 Hp and 830 Nm. Filtering the power to the wheels is a 9-speed automatic gearbox. Sadly, the top speed is electronically limited at 190 kmph only. And as the name suggests, this Mercedes-Benz also gets the brand’s competent AWD system. The price for this armoured saloon is USD 590,795 (Rs. 4.39 Crore, ex-showroom). Yes! The German marque takes around 51 days to build one.