2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Facelift boasts styling from the latest E-Class; becomes first car to have BSVI compliance
The flagship luxury sedan was revealed in its production guise at the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show in April and this news excited majority of the potential customers who like to be chauffeured around – as after all it is one of the bestselling models for the brand globally.
Having entered European markets in July 2017 and made an instant impact, the refreshed Mercedes-Benz S-Class is more likely to set new standards in terms of interior quality and exterior design while also making giants steps on its way to becoming fully autonomous vehicle at the top of the food chain.
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It was caught for the first time in India on what appears to be during emission testing in December 2017. The refreshed model boasts new design cues as well as borrowed driver assistance and safety technologies from the new E-Class alongside featuring advanced autonomous system in foreign markets.
For global markets, the engine lineup has four and six cylinder turbocharged diesel engines from the new-gen E-Class besides a 4.0-litre V8 biturbo in the performance based AMG variants. However, India could stick with the existing powertrains. There are minor visual modifications with a tweaked front grille as it is less inclined or more perpendicular compared to the outgoing model. The front and rear bumpers have undergone changes as well but the overall lavish silhouette and the signature design language are kept as similar to the existing version while receiving a rather sharper stance.
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Mercedes introduced a range of new boosted engines internationally including a biturbo 3.0-litre V6 making 362 horsepower, a biturbo 4.0-litre V8 developing 463 horsepower in the standard S560 and Maybach, a 603 horsepower version of the same engine replacing the previous 5.5-litre mill in the AMG S63. The S63 also features a new AMG Speedshift MCT nine-speed automatic that helps in hitting 0-100 kmph in just 3.4 seconds. The S65 continues with its powerful V12 making 621 hp.
The obvious interior changes are a three-spoke steering wheel in place two-spoke design, new wood trim options, ambient LED lighting with 64 available colours lighting up the interior, dual 12.3-inch high-resolution displays in a single glass panel, etc. The display shows traditional gauges along with a range of on-board systems in digital cockpit format.
The Touch Control Buttons on the steering wheel mimics a smartphone screen allowing drivers to operate entire multimedia system without distraction. Almost all functions can also be operated via the touchpad with controller in the center console or otherwise voice control. Customers have the option to choose between Classic, Sport, and Progressive display styling.
Mercedes-Benz says the Energizing Comfort uses every creature feature in the S-Class to create different 10-minute moods that “enhances the physical comfort and performance both while driving and during breaks.” One of the six programs can be chosen – from climate control to seat massaging functions, music, fragrances and even ambient lighting for creating specific moods.
The new S-Class also possesses Active Emergency Stop Assist to bring the car to a complete halt if driver doesn’t respond when Intelligent Drive is engaged. The Active Steering and Distance Assist have been improved alongside the Active Lane Change Assist now handling all the maneuvering from a single tap of the indicator stalk.
The new S-Class automatically adjust speed ahead of curved or intersections and will use both stored data on speed limits as well as image recognition of speed limit signs when driver gets cheeky. To perform these functions, the S-Class utilises a host of cameras, radars, maps and navigation data to calculate driving behaviour.
The outgoing Mercedes S-Class in India started from Rs. 1.19 crore for the S350 CDI and it goes all the way up to Rs. 10 crore for the Maybach S600 Guard (ex-showroom). However, the new 3.0-litre BSVI diesel engine in the S350d costs Rs 1.33 crore and Rs 1.37 crore for the petrol engine S 450 (ex-showroom, India). The diesel makes 286 hp and 600 Nm while the 3.0-litre petrol produces 367 hp and 500 Nm. Both are mated to nine-speed 9G Tronic automatic transmission.
2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Facelift Images
