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Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift unveiled at Shanghai

The 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift has been unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show. This mid-life facelift comes with some minor cosmetic tweaks, some new autonomous driving features and revised engine options.

Changes on the outside include a new wider front grille, a revised bumper with more prominent air dams and a tweaked set of headlights with 3 bars of DRLs. The headlights are now fitted with multibeam LED headlamps and ultra wide beam. At the sides, the character lines of the pre-facelift model have been retained, while the silhouette too hasn't been fiddled with. However, the 2018 facelift gets a new set of 20-inch alloy wheels. The rear end gets new LED taillights and a redesigned bumper with integrated exhaust pipes on the lower section.

The interiors are characterized by a new three-spoke steering wheel that now comes with multiple touch-sensitive control buttons. There are two 12.3-inch, high-definition screens on offer - one for the instrument cluster and the other for the infotainment system. The fully digital instrument cluster can be configured as per the driver's needs. It comes with 3 different display styles - Classic, Sport and Progressive. The infotainment system can either be controlled through the touch-sensitive buttons on the steering, or the touchpad with circular controller on the centre console. It also comes with voice recognition-based control.

Mercedes has added three new upholstery options with the 2018 S-Class - Silk Beige/Deep-Sea Blue, Magma Grey/Espresso Brown and Mahogany/Silk Beige. Other features on offer inside the luxury sedan's cabin include ambient lighting with 64 colours, a 3D Surround Sound System from Burmester, keyless entry and go and wireless charging.

Mercedes has also made some significant changes in the powertrain department. Following are the major engine options available:

• S450 & S450 4MATIC - 3.0-litre bi-turbo V6, 357 BHP and 500 Nm

• S560 & Maybach S560 4MATIC - 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8, 457 BHP and 700 Nm

• S63 AMG - 4.0-litre biturbo V8, 595 BHP

The new S-Class also comes with various advanced driver assistance features that have been updated to enhance its autonomous driving compatibilities. The Active Distance Assist DISTRONIC and Active Steering Assist features have been re-programmed to provide even more support to the driver to keep a safe distance from the car in front and stay in their lane. The Active Distance Assist now also uses map and navigation data to view and analyse the surrounding traffic conditions. It can then assist the driver regarding the route to be taken and can even adjust the vehicle speed accordingly to maintain a free flow. The car further gets Active Lane Change Assist and Active Emergency Stop Assist.

 
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