2006 Mercedes-Benz S-Class: First Look

By Motoring Channel Staff - 21/6/2005

Mercedes-Benz has released the first photos and details of the new 2006 model S-Class - it's biggest and most luxurious model - that will compete with vehicles such as the Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series.

The new luxury saloon goes on sale in Europe in the third quarter (northern autumn) of 2005 and will be appearing in Australian Mercedes-Benz showrooms from May 2006, available initially in V8-powered S 500 guise.

In addition to powerful new 6, 8 and 12-cylinder engines, Mercedes-Benz has gone for a sportier look for its 2006 models. The overall bodyshape of the new S-Class is still recognisable as such, but more prominence has been given the wheel arches for example, and focussing on visual modifications to the front and rear ends also contributes to this more focussed look.

The 2006 S-Class range features more angular headlights than before, giving the car a more assertive 'face', and at the rear the bootline is higher and the brake lights simpler in design, yet bolder.

A dozen technical innovations are entering series production for the first time on board the new S-Class – from Brake Assist PLUS with radar sensors to seats with an extended massage function, from the night view assist system with the latest infra-red technology to the new COMAND system, and from preventive PRE-SAFE occupant protection with additional functions to Parking Assist.

The new flagship model by Mercedes-Benz is larger than its predecessor in every respect. There is a choice of two body lengths -- 5076 or 5206 millimetres – which is 33 and 43 millimetres, respectively, more than the previous S-Class.

The wheelbase has increased by 70/80 millimetres to 3035 and 3165 millimetres, respectively. The body is also 16 millimetres wider and 29 millimetres higher than before.

These new dimensions create the conditions for an interior concept which provides every single passenger with first-class comfort. Luxurious exotic wood and chrome trim, attractively contoured controls in aluminium and carefully coordinated colours characterise the atmosphere in the interior, producing an immediate feeling of wellbeing.

Mercedes customers are able to adapt the newly developed seats in the 2006 S-Class to suit their personal comfort requirements.

Electrically adjustable, 16-way front seats with lumbar supports are standard equipment and there is also an optional choice of luxury seats with heating and ventilation, multicontour seats (front and rear) and dynamic multicontour seats (front) whose squab and backrest contours adapt to the relevant driving situation to provide the best possible lateral support at all times.

The dynamic multicontour seat is also equipped with separate air chambers in the backrest which are successively inflated and deflated at the touch of a button, massaging the back muscles for the wellbeing of its occupant. The intensity and speed of the massage function can be adjusted in four stages by means of the COMAND system.

Offering the best-possible ride for passengers, the chassis comprises the improved AIRMATIC air suspension system, which, at the touch of a button, the driver can choose between a comfort-oriented or more sporty configuration.

Beyond 120km/h and in Sport mode, the suspension is automatically lowered by up to 20 millimetres to improve the handling dynamics, aerodynamics and fuel consumption even further.

Another innovative chassis development is the braking system dubbed "Adaptive Brake" which has additional functions which, for example, assist the driver when moving off on gradients and shorten braking distances in the wet. The parking brake is electrically assisted for the first time – the brake is applied merely by pressing a button, and is released automatically when the car moves off.

In conjunction with the exterior, interior and chassis improvements, the German car maker has also seen fit to work on its range of petrol engines, gifting the new S-Class range with even better performance than before, giving it a better chance of fighting on the level with BMW's livelier 7 Series limousine.

In addition to the 3.5-litre V6 engine with 200kW (272hp), a new 8-cylinder unit developing 285kW (388hp) and a muscular 530 Newton metres of torque from a low 2800rpm will already be available at the time of the market launch. It accelerates the S 500 from standstill to 100 km/h in just 5.4 seconds.

The output of the 12-cylinder engine in the top-of-the-range S 600 (available from 2006) has increased to a substantial 380kW (517hp), while torque has increased by just under four percent to a remarkable 830Nm from 1900rpm.

As standard equipment, the V6 and V8 engines for the new S-Class are combined with the unique 7-speed automatic transmission 7G-TRONIC.

Another novel feature of the new Mercedes S-Class is the night view assist system, which contributes to reducing the risk of accidents during the hours of darkness. This system is based on infra-red light, which is invisible to the human eye and will therefore not dazzle oncoming traffic.

Two infra-red headlamps illuminate the road, extending the driver's range of vision to more than 150 metres when on low beam. Night view assist therefore makes pedestrians, cyclists, parked cars and other obstacles visible very much sooner. An infra-red camera mounted on the inside of the windscreen records the reflected image of the road ahead and displays this in the instrument cluster.

Improving operating convenience and allowing for a modern cockpit design is DIRECT SELECT – the electronic control of the standard 7G-TRONIC 7-speed automatic transmission by nudging a lever on the right of the steering column. Thanks to this technology, Mercedes engineers were able to dispense with the usual selector lever on the centre console and redesign the tunnel covering.

This redesign makes way for the innovative "Cockpit Management and Data System" or COMAND for short. In addition to the familiar telematics and audio units, various vehicle functions which previously required individual switches have now been integrated into the system.

The large COMAND colour display is positioned at the same height as the instrument cluster, and therefore even more favourably within the field of vision of the driver and front passenger. A new operating concept, up-to-date colours and clear, photo-quality graphics also make the menu selection procedure a gratifying visual experience.

The COMAND system in the new S-Class includes a radio, CD/DVD player and a port for computer memory cards (PCMCIA cards) as standard. On request Mercedes-Benz will equip COMAND with a Europe-wide navigation system whose data are now stored on a hard drive. This allows even faster route calculation than before.

The new S-Class is replacing a successful series which has captured the top end of this market segment in every region of the world. Even in its last year of production the flagship saloon by Mercedes-Benz is the worldwide market leader among the world’s luxury saloons, with around 17,000 units sold (as of May 2005).

Accolades achieved by the previous S-Class include around four dozen prizes and awards in international competitions, with numerous titles such as "Best Car", "Most Innovative Saloon", "Highest Design Quality" or "World’s Finest Car". With all the updates and innovations the new 2006 model S-Class brings to the table, expect a even more accolades in 2006.