The S-Class:
Setting trends with exclusive, leading-edge technology
• Subtle design modifications front and rear
• Exclusive "designo couture" interior trim package
• Largest engine range in luxury-class segment, featuring six high-tech power plants
• PRE-SAFE pre-crash occupant protection system
June 9, 2004, Beijing
The pace of technical and stylistic change at the world's number one manufacturer of luxury-class saloons shows no signs of letting up. Mercedes-Benz will shortly present an even more attractive and innovative S-Class with numerous modifications.
Front section restyled for an even more powerful look
Subtle modifications are the general theme of the new S-Class, helping to accentuate its lithe and elegant character. For example the front bumper with restyled lower air intake gives the body a wider, more powerful appearance. The radiator grille has been redesigned too, and is now taller and steeper than before. The most important change however concerns the stylish headlamps, whose state-of-the-art clear lenses and high-brilliance reflectors add further zest to the appearance of the S-Class. The exterior mirror casings and the rear lights too, are now more elegantly styled.
As a further attraction, Mercedes-Benz now also offers an exclusive "designo couture" interior trim package, which includes finest-quality nappa and nubuk leather upholstery, anthracite-coloured poplar or maple wood veneer and a roof lining of fine Alcantara.
500 hp V12 engine and further improved six-cylinder engines
With two six-cylinder engines, three V8s and a V12, the S-Class offers a wider selection of engines than any other product in this segment. The output ratings extend from 150 kW/204 hp to 368 kW/ 500 hp in the range-topping S 600 model.
Heading the new engine line-up is a newly developed twelve-cylinder twin-turbo unit with water-cooled intercooler and other high-tech innovations. Made of advanced light-weight materials, this 5.5 litre V12 power plant develops a maximum output of 368 kW/ 500 hp, making it one of the most powerful engines in its class. It delivers peak torque of 800 Newton metres upwards of just 1800 rpm and propels the top-of-the-line S 600 from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.8 seconds. The tried-and-tested six-cylinder S-Class engines have been further improved, with an increase in both power and torque. The displacement of the V6 petrol engine has been increased to 3.7 litres, bringing a 12.5 per cent increase in output to 180 kW/245 hp, and a 13 per cent increase in torque to 350 Newton metres at 3000 rpm.
High-tech PRE-SAFE pre-crash occupant protection system
Heading the list of high-tech innovations is the PRE-SAFE pre-crash occupant protection system, with which Mercedes-Benz is inaugurating a new era in automotive safety. PRE-SAFE is intended to detect an impending collision in advance based on various definite conditions and puts the occupants and the vehicle on standby before an impact occurs.
This new safety system is based on the findings of the Mercedes-Benz accident researchers, which show that in approximately two thirds of all accidents, there is a relatively long time lapse between recognition of an impending collision and the collision itself. Mercedes-Benz is now using this "window" for advance activation of protection systems in order to further reduce the risk of injury to the vehicle's occupants. The S-Class inaugurated this pioneering safety concept in year 2003.
The system is the result of some six years' intensive development work by Mercedes engineers. Hundreds of drivers took part in the testing and refining of PRE-SAFE on test tracks and in the DaimlerChrysler Berlin driving simulator. This acceptance-testing programme delivered a clear verdict: pre-crash occupant protection in no way restricts the freedom of the driver or the drivability of the car but rather gives occupants an enhanced feeling of safety.
