[Siddy]

Awesome detailed preview Rehaan!

Perfect mixture of technology, safety, elegance, power and comfort!
Good to know that team bhp is invited for overseas events. Proud to be a bhpain

[julupani]

First of all, great preview. Great to know about all this great technology. If we go by history, most of this stuff on the new S-class will be available on standard run of the mill cars in about 20 years time.

Now coming to the car itself.

Somehow, the S-class doesnt do it for me. The technology is great, but it seems to be getting a bit long in the tooth now. It seems like that is all this car is about. Merc seems to have forgotten about basic simple design.

I wish they had taken some inspiration from good old Jaguar, and made the car really beautiful to look at. In comparison to XJ/XJL this thing is almost ugly. Even the interiors seem all about the tech, while simple design flair plays second fiddle.

It feels like this car is a massive computer, with an engine and some wheels thrown in to make it move.

[Octane_Power]

Excellent review Rehaan, you covered each and every nicety of the car.
The animated images were quite useful in construing some of the features e.g adaptive lighting.
Great to see Team-BHP going international with such launches.

Few things,
1.When the car is in motion, the rear seat recline feature would only be possible on the left seat (it first appeared in the A8, correct me if I am wrong but I think the A8's recline feature offers more legroom than in the S).

2.Also, what about the unwanted sullying of the back of the front seat ?

3. I had seen on Fifth Gear, the collision avoidance system is not quite efficient on the S (although it was the W221), but it didn't fair well on the tests (colliding a number of times to the dummy car).
You must have experienced it first hand, so how efficient was the system in this car ?

Thanks!

-Bhargav

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by PPS

Is there any feature which this car misses out on?!

Yes, actually I did miss having a HUD.

However, I did see the HUD button in one of the brochure pictures, though there was no mention of it anywhere in the very extensive literature, and I didn't see it in any of the cars either.

I've read elsewhere that it will be added soon.

Originally Posted by honda_dude

Any idea when is it going to land on indian shores.

Q4 2013 launch was mentioned.

Originally Posted by Speed Pujari

Also just wanted to know who did the photography since it was totally different from other review in forum.

I definitely can't take all the credit for this! About 60 out of 80 pictures were taken by me. The remaining ones were provided by Mercedes.

Originally Posted by julupani

Even the interiors seem all about the tech, while simple design flair plays second fiddle.
...
It feels like this car is a massive computer, with an engine and some wheels thrown in to make it move.

Very interesting points, and I can't disagree with you on this. Though I do disagree with you about the exterior design - I think its a beautiful blend of classy and modern, and with a few small tweaks can go from subtle to edgy too.

cya
R

[doctorque]

Very good work Rehaan. Cannot get more detailed. Mercedes sales guys could use this as an E brochure. Enough said.

[JayPrashanth]

Fantastic preview Rehaan. The amount of tech that the 2014 S-Class borders on the scary.

Cheers,

Jay

[gaurav_3000ad]

A very impressive review befitting such a statesque car. Everything about this car from the design to the technology on offer is brilliant.

The front of the new merc looks a tad bit more aggressive and butch than the outgoing version and nicely in sync with the sloping rear with the downward crease along the sides gelling both the elements together.

The technology literally boggles the mind. However their usefulness in our crowded and claustrophobic city roads remain doubtful except for the magic carpet ride and the parking assist (incl the top view camera, quite ingenious).

Mercedes couldn't have said it better - "Its only the law which is preventing these vehicles from driving themselves"

[AVR]

Lovely review!

I love the way things are so well thought through e.g. using the brakes for collision avoidance instead of the steering.

What makes the "S" truly impressive is that a lot of arguably science-fiction stuff goes behind enabling very simple, easy-to-understand and explain enhancements to the car.

It's kinda interesting that when you read about the new features in a "S" it almost makes you wonder that they've exhausted everything one can think of in a car and then when the next "S" is launched they'll make us think the same.

Benz is back! and how!

Cheers,
Adi

[Tats07]

@Rehaan: I so very highly impressed - yes, by the vehicle, but much more by the quality of the preview that you have put up here - I ended up going through this uninterrupted in one shot on a busy office day! And the photographs, 'exquisite' is the only word which comes to my mind!!

I have somehow always missed rating the review threads in the past. I'm making a beginning with this one, and needless to say, it's perfect 5!!!

[Baddychat]

Brilliant Brilliant review Rehaan. I was so looking forward to this review since I had the seen the preview of the ambient lighting which MB did sometime in February this year. There were small news items here and there on the MBC and I must say it is indeed wow.
The review had me grinning ear to ear. :-) I had read on some chip design forum that the average last gen S Class (W221) boasts of at least 100 processors of which quite a few are ARM cores with each capable of running a mobile device. I think they have taken electronic system design to a different level with the W222.

Also I just saw that the MBC uses a stand-alone Intel Atom processor.

Was a great read. Thanks once again.

Cheers

[nair]

Oh My God!! What a car!! Great review. Thanks.

Motivated me to work double hard for the upcoming CAT exam. Clear CAT. Do MBA. Get a great JOB. BUY THIS CAR.

[Akshay1234]

The S is back, and how! We can bid our farewells to the other brands flagships. The way I see it, if someone wants luxury there is no competition in its price bracket. The amount of technology is baffling, almost unreal.

The looks have grown on me. I think this is a great comeback to the old days of Mercedes, where they were the first with many innovations. Hopefully it is over engineered and the reliability should be good too.

[Dodge_Viper]

Just fantastic review Rehaan .
My eyes popped out literally looking at the host of technological features. Truly an epitome of luxury and safety! This would be the most technologically advanced car to be sold in India.

BTW, the headlight system as mentioned is sure to get mad in Indian road conditions.

[julupani]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Very interesting points, and I can't disagree with you on this. Though I do disagree with you about the exterior design - I think its a beautiful blend of classy and modern, and with a few small tweaks can go from subtle to edgy too.

cya
R

Unlike you many will disagree with me. After all design is not objective by nature.

On the exteriors, this new S-class loses the simple elegance of the previous versions. The 7-series has the BMW image, and can pull of a bit of aggression. An agressive/edgy S-classs is not what I am looking for. And if you ask me what is worse is that Merc seems to have got stuck between a more edgy agressive design and the subtlety of the older versions.

Other than that, I am firmly in the camp of simple clean design language, which not many modern car designs stick to. There is just too much going on in this new design for me.

[hillram]

One of the best reviews that I have seen on Team BHP. The technology of Mercedes Benz is simply examplifying.