What’s got four wheels, will
be used in every financial district from London to Beijing, bears lineage to every
oil magnate the world over and has the pride of the German automotive industry
resting on its shoulders? The latest Mercedes S-Class. The archetypal executive
saloon has donned its latest suit in “W222” form. Gone are the aggressive rear
haunches of the 2007 model in favour of a svelte curve stretching its flanks.
This preference for modest clean lines over aggressive body stance is perhaps
of reflective the different economic environs the models were conceived in; less
being more and all that. You may have noticed that there are less buyers around
these days for such uber-saloons with the times we live in. However; the world
is a large place and this car is in demand, especially in China. The S-Class
has always strived to lead the way in technology innovation with many of its
features trickling down through the years to lesser models; airbags and
anti-lock braking being some of them. So what is Mercedes showing us now that we
can we expect to see as standard in ten years time? Magic Body Control for one. Cameras
mounted in the windscreen scan the road surface ahead to detect bumps and will adjust the cars suspension and dampers accordingly
before you reach it. Will this be optional in a Ford Focus in future? Don’t bet
against it. The headline news for this generation S-Class is the tailoring of
the car towards Eastern buyers who have a preference for rear legroom. To this
end the car has been manufactured to accommodate 3 different wheelbase lengths
with an emphasis on raising standard luxury paradigms. This model has set the industry
standard in luxury four door saloons for decades. Mercedes has given itself big
boots to fill. There’s plenty of room for them in the rear.
Keep up your work.
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