The new S-Class has broken cover and we know that it's the benchmark luxury sedan on offer. But now a lot has changed and it's loaded to the gills with technology. Let's take a deep dive into some of the cool tech features on the new Mercedes S-Class.
The centre console features a massive 12.8 OLED touchscreen.
The 12.8-inch screen is the main control hub
Mercedes has added a massive 12.8-inch OLED screen. The touchscreen can tell where your finger is even before you've pressed it and you get haptic feedback as well. There is a lot of tech that's inspired from a phone as you also get a fingerprint scanner and face ID. If someone does try to fiddle around with the screen, the Mercedes voice activation system won't allow the access until you trigger the hot word "Hey Mercedes". The driver's screen measures 12.3 inches diagonally which also makes it quite gargantuan, functionally speaking.
MBUX is the star of the three-pointed star
All the new features of the car
MBUX is Mercedes' interactive communications system which enables some science fiction-like cool. As it is the second generation model it is naturally 50 per cent faster. It comes with a bandwidth of 41,790 Mb/s. This system identifies 27 different languages. The S-Class features five screens in total. Some come with the OLED technology and are available with haptic feedback. The driver's screen which is 3D comes with the spatial perception of the scene with a true 3D effect which tracks your eye movements. The driver also gets a massive heads-up display with augmented reality. The function comes handy during navigation. The display indicates with arrows when you are approaching a turn ahead. The MBUX uses the camera built inside the cabin upper control panel which uses the systems learning algorithms to assist and recognise the wishes and commands of the passenger. It uses the passenger's body language/head movement and reacts using the relevant vehicle function. For example, to open the sunroof you just wave your hand back and it opens the sunroof on that command. The ambient lighting now has about 250 LEDs. MBUX is available for all individual seats. It will keep getting smarter with over the air updates and learn with your user interaction. The voice command lets you control your seat adjustment. It can even order food for you through the digital service, if your fridge is running low on supplies, however, this feature will initially be only available in China. MBUX will also be able to sync with your home devices to control your security or other home appliances.
The S-Class will always keep you comfy inside
The palace on wheels has a four-zone climate control system which includes 17 motors that navigate the air distribution in front and 20 motors in the rear. These control the flaps that direct the air by sensing the passenger. The ambient lighting also changes colour in sync with the atmosphere in the car.
It is one of the safest cars on the planet
The cockpit of the new S-Class is out of science fiction
The S-Class comes with impressive safety technology, expectedly. For starters, there's a new backseat airbag, these aren't just extra curtain airbags but are proper full-size airbags that pop out of the front seats. This means passengers in the back seat get the same protection as the driver in a head-on crash. Another cool feature is the pre-safe impulse side system. This automatically raises when it senses an accident and causes the air suspension to rise by eight centimetres. This helps in diverting the energy from the crash away from the doors and into the car's floor which is where the car is the strongest and so it protects everyone inside. In fact, the E-ACTIVE BODY CONTROL system analyses the driving circumstances and adjusts the suspension a thousand times per second.
Aerodynamic but not like Lewis Hamilton's Merc
The S-Class is one of the most aerodynamic cars in the world today. The aerodynamics of the car have been perfected for a vibration-free drive inside the cabin. It features new door handles that hide inside the door panel to reduce the drag for better speed. Around 98kg of the components in the car are recycled which also make this car more environmentally friendly.
A concert arena on wheels
The in-dash system gets a 12.8-inch panel
The seats have a special built-in Burmester stereo system, which has a built-in vibration pad for you to feel the bass coming from the stereo speakers to give you a first of its kind 4D sound experience. The seats come with electric recliners. Total of 30 speakers are there in the car. This is a concert arena on wheels. Trust these speakers to sound sinfully good, though we can't wait to blast them.
Smaller turning radius
The new rear-wheel steering on the S-Class dramatically reduces the turning radius of what is a pretty large car. This makes it easier for the car to turn at the tight corners. The turning radius will be the same as the A-class which is kind of insane considering the petite dimensions of the affordable Mercedes compared to its crown jewel.
Autonomous but it's no Waymo
The S-Class is capable of level 3 autonomous driving. This can brake, steer, accelerate and change lanes on the road automatically just like a Tesla. You can take your hands off the wheel for a short while depending on the compliances in your country. The car's intelligent AI makes sure that you are paying attention by using two cameras that constantly monitor your eyes. That big said this is not a fully autonomous system like what we have seen from the like of Waymo. That being said, it also does another cool thing which can come under autonomous driving. It also features an intelligent Park Pilots function that lets you park your car itself in a multi-story car park. The same can be done by using your phone. This feature will only be available in countries that allow it.
Most Advanced Headlights
This is the new contender for the best car in the world
The LED headlights on the S-Class consist of 84 built-in diodes with 1.3 million tiny mirrors to project the light exactly where you need it to be. These tiny mirrors shine the light directly at the pedestrians to make sure you spotted them and it also displays a warning symbol on the road ahead. The S-class's system uses data from the satellite navigation to angle the headlight down when you are getting close to people so you don't blind the people driving towards you.
