S-Class sharpened
Mercedes’ flagship gets mid-life improvements, hybrid not coming here
By Derryn Wong
IT’S BEEN A scant four years since the launch of the W221 S-Class, but that hasn’t stopped it from being a best-selling model with around 270,000 units sold worldwide since 2005.
To keep up the momentum, the face-lifted S-Class has debuted internationally in May this year. Now Singapore gets the latest versions of the car thanks to Daimler Southeast Asia and local dealer Cycle & Carriage.
Being a minor update, the new design doesn’t deviate much from the current car’s styling – the grille is more pointed, there’s a new front bumper and now the exhausts are visible from the rear.
On the face there are xenon-lights, now standard throughout the range, and the latest trend of LED running lights (also on the new E-Class) appear too. The taillights also get a 52-LED array.
Comprising the range here are the S 300, 350, 500 and 600. Pedantically speaking, all these models should have ‘L’ behind, as only the long-wheelbase models are sold here. They have the same wheelbase as before, 3,165mm, some 130mm longer than regular models.
The engines, ranging from the 231bhp, 3.0-litre V6 in the S 300L to the monstrous 517bhp, 5.5-litre bi-turbo V12 in the S 600L see unchanged outputs, all with the seven-speed automatic 7G-tronic gearbox, except for the S 600L, which has a stronger five-speed unit to deal with the torque.
Like the new E-Class, a range of novel safety and convenience systems are available for the entire range such as Attention Assists (stops you from dozing off), Night View Assist (infrared night vision), Lane Keeping Assist, Distronic Plus (radar-based cruise control), and so on.
Sadly, customers who want to achieve a fuel economy of 12.7km/L in a luxury saloon will have to wait longer, as the newly-introduced S 400 Hybrid (a mild hybrid, which uses a smaller battery and motors) is being produced for left-hand drive markets only.
Cycle & Carriage representatives say the cars are available for booking and immediate delivery, as the first units have already been handed over to their owners.
Retail prices with COE are as follows: S 300L at $286,888, S 350L at $322,888, S 500L at $418,888 and S 600L is priced upon application. The range-topping S 63 and S 65 AMG models are available on indent basis.