As part of the preparations for the 140th anniversary of the invention of the automobile, Mercedes-Benz has given the public an exclusive first look at the new, completely renewed S-Class. CEO of the company, Ola Källeniusemphasized that this is the most significant refresh of this iconic model so far, with more than 50% of the vehicle, i.e. over 2,700 individual parts, completely changed or refined.
Information about potholes in the “cloud”
The exterior design brings the famous prestigious front mask with an illuminated star as a sculpture on the engine cover and new, precise and intelligent lights. A key technological innovation in the field of comfort is the advanced Airmatic suspension that uses computer cloud technology. Namely, each vehicle sends information about bumps in the road to a shared network, allowing cars coming behind it to adjust their suspension in advance and react better to bumps.
Inside, however, the focus of the new S-Class is on the rear-seat driving experience, which Källenius describes as “a haven for legends”. The cabin is designed as a multifunctional space that serves as an office, a concert hall with Dolby Atmos system or a luxurious living room, giving passengers the feeling of “floating above the ground”.
Among the unusual comfort accessories, heated seat belts stand out, which will have a double role – it will be more comfortable to fasten them on in the cold part of the year, but passengers with them will be more motivated to take off their excess winter clothes, which will make the belt fit better on their bodies and enable them to drive safer. The heated seat belt is an innovation of the German ZF, and the new version is specially adapted to electric vehicles, because it is more economical in terms of energy consumption. Despite this, it heats up from -5°C to 40°C in just two minutes.
In the field of safety and digitization, the new S-Class introduces a completely new MB.OS operating system developed from the ground up, which sets up a new digital vehicle infrastructure. With the historical legacy of innovations such as ABS and airbags, the new model goes a step further and is already ready for autonomous driving of the fourth level (L4), whose pilot projects are already being tested on roads. The world premiere of the new S-Class is scheduled for January 29.