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By
EWAN KENNEDY
15 May 2006
Let's talk about the styling of the latest Mercedes S-Class to start
with, because everyone we’ve spoken to has strong opinions on the
matter. To be honest we weren’t over keen on the shape when it was
unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. The bold styling of the
large wheel-arch flares took us by surprise and we didn’t especially
like the new theme. Now we’ve had time to look at the car, and have
spent the last week with one in our care. And have grown to love it.
This shape has taken the big Benz in an
all-new direction. Whereas the S-Class’s grille had shrunk in the past
two generations, it’s now large and distinctive in an almost arrogant
way. Those front wheel-arch flares come a long way forward, even being
continued into the headlights. The flares take an interesting step back
in years, almost being retro in the way they ape the separate mudguards
that lasted from the dawn of motoring all the way into the 1950s
The rear of the new Benz S-Class is
probably the most controversial area as far as looks are concerned.
Again, there are definite wheel arches, but the thing that interests
most people is the way that the big rear lights are split by body-coloured
panels. It’s not to all tastes, but there's nothing wrong with a bit
of controversy in car styling.
Inside, the big new Benz S-Class, the
theme of the styling is part traditional, part modern. There are some
lovely flowing shapes in the design and the use of quality materials
throughout is very obvious. Metallic alloys, leather and timber
complement one another well and there are many options to allow buyers
to design their own theme.
The large, circular instruments not only
make a retro statement but are practical as well. Because, let's face
it, most buyers who can afford this car will be at the stage of life
when big numbers on large dials are pretty useful.
Though Mercedes has followed the
electronic route in its minor controls, the system is relatively simple
to use, with clear screens that are generally displayed in an intuitive
sequence. If the electronic options don’t quite make sense at first
glance, the designers have provided plenty of buttons for backup. These
are carefully integrated into the centre dash panel and the instrument
housing; so well integrated that you may not notice them at first.
At this stage only the new S-Class
Mercedes V8 is being imported so that’s the car we tested, in
long-wheelbase S500L format. Confusingly, it doesn’t have a 5.0-litre
capacity the name suggests, rather it displaces 5.5 litres. It is an
all-new design and produces a healthy power and torque. Yet it uses less
fuel than in the superseded Mercedes S500.
On motorways we found the big V8 seldom
exceeded 10 litres per hundred kilometres in its consumption. Around
town this rose to a still reasonable 11 to 13 litres per hundred
depending on the type of driving being done. These are excellent
figures, not only in minimising fuel use, but also because the engine is
producing a minimum of pollution due to its combustion efficiency.
Ride comfort in the front and rear seats
is very good. There's plenty of stretch out room and refinement is
paramount. However, rough roads and coarse-chip surfaces revealed more
noise than we had anticipated. You wouldn’t call it bad, but it really
should be better.
Throwing this big car at winding roads at
speeds far higher than those likely to be attempted by any sensible
person, saw it holding on with very German determination. The big limo
remained nicely balanced at all times and has a huge amount in reserve
when driven in a more sedate manner.
High-speed cruising is its real forte,
unfortunately we couldn’t spare the time to take it to the Northern
Territory to really sample it at its best. Perhaps next time…
These large Mercedes saloons come with a
staggering array of standard and optional equipment. Rather than
cramming most of this page with information, may we suggest you either
contact your local Mercedes dealer, or log onto www.mercedesbenz.com.au/
The best car in the world? We say yes and
if you have $269,900 to spare you may try one for yourself and see what
you think.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
S350 3.5-litre four-door sedan - $187,900
S350L 3.5-litre four-door sedan - $203,900
S500 5.5-litre four-door sedan - $253,900
S500L 5.5-litre four-door sedan - $269,900
S600L 5.5-litre four-door sedan - $363,900
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard on all models
Air Conditioning: Standard on all models
Automatic Transmission: Standard on all models
CD Player: Standard on all models
Central Locking: Standard on all models
Cruise Control: Standard on all models
Driver Airbag: Standard on all models
Passenger Airbag: Standard on all models
Front Side Airbags: Standard on all models
SPECIFICATIONS
(Mercedes-Benz S500L 5.5-litre four-door sedan)
ENGINE:
Capacity: 5.461 litres
Configuration: Longitudinal V8
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 10.7:1
Bore/Stroke: 98.0 x 90.5mm
Maximum Power: 285kW
Maximum Torque: 530Nm @ 2800-4800rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Rear
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Seven-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 2.65:1
DIMENSIONS,
WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 5206mm
Wheelbase: 3165mm
Width: 1871mm
Height: 1473mm
Turning Circle: 12.2 metres
Kerb Mass: 1985kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 101 litres
Towing Ability: 750kg (2100kg with braked trailer)
SUSPENSION AND
BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Four-link axle, anti-lift control, air suspension,
anti-roll bar
Rear Suspension: Independent multi-link, anti-squat, anti-dive,
anti-roll bar
Front Brakes: Ventilated Disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated Disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 5.4 secs
Standing 400 Metres: 13.5 secs
FUEL
CONSUMPTION:
Fuel Type: Petrol 95RON
Fuel Consumption - Combined Cycle (ADR 81/01): 12.0 L/100km
STANDARD
WARRANTY:
Three years/unlimited km
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Copyright Marque Publishing Company
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