2007 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Preview

The Mothership Has Landed

For the sake of my own journalistic integrity, I am going to attempt to refrain from any excessive sarcasm or gratuitous mockery of so revered an institution as the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. And by institution I am not referring to its massive size or the multitude of features with which it sells, but rather the esteem and respect it garners on all avenues and boulevards.

The previous S-Class was widely lauded as a machine designed with a large measure of classic tastefulness. It was a bridge to distinguished limos of the three-pointed star marques past, like the 1963 600 or the mid-50s 300D, with technological innovations fit to usher in a new millennium.

The millennium is now past and Mercedes

DaimlerChrysler has pulled out all the stops for the brand new 2007 S-Class. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz U.S.A.)

is looking to continue a longstanding tradition of innovation while maintaining a historical connection with over a century of car building and design. As even Mercedes designers will point out, theirs is an evolutionary progress.

"An exorbitantly luxurious car, designed, as rumor had it, to outclass everything that had been available to ambitious customers all over the world in the category of top-notch limousines."

The S-Class was a bridge to distinguished limos of the three-pointed star marques past, like the 1963 600 or the mid-50s 300D. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz U.S.A.)

align="justify">Thats a quote from the Mercedes-Benz history site about the release of the much-anticipated 600 limo in 1963, also available at the time in regular and long-wheelbase versions. It seems that DaimlerChrysler has carried forward those same principles and pulled out all the stops for the brand new 2007 S-Class. Those stops include Brake Assist PLUS, DISTRONIC PLUS, second-generation PRE-SAFE, as well as various other features that have nothing to do with stopping.

One of the defining features of all new Mercedes-Benz designs is the arcing beltline crease. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz U.S.A.)

align="justify">Before I get to all the different ways the S-Class keeps itself from getting scratched or dented, I will give a little rundown of its newfound design. Though many will mourn the passing of the previous models elegant curves, Mercedes is applying many of the same techniques and stylistic themes they have already applied across their model range. The dominant features to my eyes are big flared wheel arches on all four corners, recalling the floating fenders of the 30s without going back in time.

One of the defining features of all new Mercedes-Benz

Distronic Plus is Mercedes adaptive cruise control, which allows the driver to maintain a constant distance from the vehicle in front. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz U.S.A.)

designs is the arcing beltline crease. In the case of the S it originates from above of the front wheel arches, runs along the bottom of the windows and D-pillar all the way back to seperate the rear taillight clusters and the trunk. The side panels are relatively uninterrupted, allowing a feel of substantial mass, and combined with edges in the fascia and grille and sharper headlight shapes give the S-Class an overall high-tech look, as opposed to its predecessors sinuous, sporting demeanor.

Now that Ive given word to certain features that caught my eye, Ill tell you about the foremost technological advancements

Park Assist makes use of the S-Class 24 GHz radar system, housing sensors within the front and rear bumpers to avoid those unsightly little divots on your bumpers. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz U.S.A.)

of Mercedes flagship sedan. Most of these features pertain to the cars various safety systems that help keep it from colliding with other vehicles.

The first and most critical to Mercedes are the capabilities of the new radar system, which works in concert with several of the cars programs to maintain the integrity of the S-Class in various situations. Distronic Plus is Mercedes adaptive cruise control, which allows the driver to maintain a constant distance from the vehicle in front. In city-driving conditions, Distronic Plus teams up with Brake Assist Plus to monitor proximity to surrounding cars. If the sensors anticipate a collision, they will automatically apply appropriate

The coolest of the new S-Class technologies is the Infra-Red Night Vision. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz U.S.A.)

brake pressure even if the driver does not. In ideal circumstances this will greatly reduce the occurrence of rear-end collisions.

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