Mercedes-Benz S-Class - what a hero is worth

When it comes to Mercedes-Benz S-Class cars, Chinese people are absolutely familiar with them. Yes, everyone who sees them on the street and calls them "Big Ben" is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class. There are two generations of the common S-class in China: the previous generation of W140 (square and square) and the recent generation of W220 (more round and long). The two "Big Ben" are highly respected in China, but they are not perfect for Mercedes-Benz - since each generation must go through a 7-8 year life cycle, the replacement of Mercedes-Benz S-Class has never been a simple one. It must pass on the history to keep the brand character deeply rooted in the hearts of the people, and there must be enough changes to cope with the changes in the world for many years to come. Therefore, updating the S-Class is definitely one of the most difficult tasks in the automotive field.

Despite the controversy

The shape design direction of the last two generations of the S-Class is very different. They each have their own strengths, but they can't be everything. The W140 was rated too bulky, and the W220, which was altered for that, was underwhelming. So one of the biggest tasks in designing the new S-Class is to pursue a balance between this "big" and "small". In terms of results, Mercedes-Benz has been very successful. Although the length, width, and height of the new S-Class are increased compared with the previous generation, through the enlarged grille, four protruding wheel arches, and a more three-dimensional rear end, a well-sized overall look and feel has been created-accurately Say, I think the new S-Class looks and feels 5% smaller than the famously large BMW 7-Series, and 10-15% smaller than Mercedes' flagship Maybach - a size that should best meet most people's psychological needs. Yes.

Not only that, Mercedes-Benz designers also stated that they deliberately pursued domineering and a sense of identity in the front design of the new S, while focusing on elegance and subtlety on the side, in order to please different people's preferences.

The change in appearance seems to belong only to Mercedes-Benz's own evolution, but the changes brought about by the fierce competition can be seen in the cabin of the new S-Class. A comprehensive menu control system called COMMAND has become the protagonist of the new S compartment. In principle, it can be said to be exactly the same as the i-Drive of the BMW 7 Series - it is controlled by a multi-function knob on the central handrest, which is located in the instrument panel. The menu on the top screen in the center of the stage. Because the principles are so similar, the cabin design of the new S is also strikingly similar to the BMW 7-Series - undeniably this is the first impression everyone sees when they see the new S cabin. How to deal with this similarity in design? I think Mercedes-Benz's answer is: don't bother, it's good enough.

The introduction of the COMMAND system has greatly reduced the number of buttons in the compartment, the layout of the center console can be more elegant and concise, and even freed up more storage space... There are so many benefits, even if the back is similar to the opponent's " What about "criminal charges"? What's more, the biggest principle of cabin design is not face, but the user's actual experience. In this regard, the new S has been very successful. Some of its functions can be said to be designed for the BMW 7 series, such as the one on the center console panel. A neat row of silver buttons, which can be toggled up and down to adjust the temperature and air volume, is the simplest and most beautiful design I've ever seen. There are also shortcut keys for other commonly used functions (such as audio radio and record player, navigation and telephone, dynamic seats, etc.) on the central handrest. How to make various hidden functions easier to use under the premise of fewer buttons? This is the The biggest problem of simplifying the cabin, and the latest Mercedes-Benz S really outperforms BMW and Audi.

Fix the cabin

As for the COMMAND system, with the experience of BMW i-Drive and Audi MMI before, we quickly got started with it. Although Mercedes-Benz emphasizes that this system is very easy to use in terms of menu design, and can even achieve "subconscious" directness, but based on our two-day test driving experience, it still requires you to learn half an hour before driving, and then "practice" on the road. "It takes a few hours to basically understand the "rules of the game" of the COMMAND menu operation; as for the "subconscious" realm that the manufacturer calls it, you have to wait for you to buy the car. Get used to it.

Is it possible? Yes, no matter how complicated the operation of a mobile phone is, won't it be familiar to you after using it day and night? What's more, the menu of COMMAND is really cleverly designed. It is not the eight-way type of BMW i-Drive, nor the left and right type of Audi MMI, but is spread up and down and left and right, which is a little more intuitive to use than the opponent. Mercedes-Benz even listed Chinese as one of the languages set by the factory. The European models we tested in Europe also have Chinese operation menus. As a Chinese user, the sense of superiority is naturally further improved.

A byproduct of the COMMAND system is a small paddle shifter on the steering wheel and an electric handbrake button, but those two things have been around for four full years on the BMW 7 Series. The advantage of Mercedes-Benz's move is that there is definitely no need to worry about users' habit problems, and it may even make buyers who like BMW 7 Series "pass the owner".

There is also a fun thing hidden in the COMMAND menu - the Dynamic multicontour seat. Mercedes-Benz has taken the function of this inflatable seat to the extreme. By inflating and deflating 11 airbags hidden in various parts of the seat, the two front seats can be transformed from a wide and flat sofa shape to a dynamic close-fitting bucket shape. Seat - it's amazing. When cornering, the dynamic inflation function on the outer side has a faster response than before. Every time the steering wheel is turned a small angle, the front of the car has not yet entered the corner, and the side of the seat outside the curve has been inflated. On the continuous mountain road, this kind of seat is so comfortable, young people will find it refreshing, and the elderly will definitely help the health of the waist.

The overall performance of the new S class did not disappoint. Its atmosphere, materials and even the operation of many facilities are still very smooth and advanced. If you have used the S class before, you will feel more familiar and comfortable. The seat-type adjustment buttons on the side, the large black-backed LCD instrument, and the peach wood with a bright and clean color and a sense of German technology, these are the natural evolution of the previous generation S-Class. The biggest change in the cabin should be the color tone. The light gray interior of the previous generation is gone. The new S has black, gray, apricot and other cabin colors, but even the lightest matching is darker than the previous generation. The dark cabin gives people a more rigorous and solid feeling, which is also another manifestation of the pursuit of the new S-Class to enhance the sense of solemnity.

A bunch of new vocabulary

All generations of Mercedes-Benz S-Class have brought some new vocabulary to the auto industry. When I interviewed the head of the development of the new S, I prepared a pen and paper to record what he said. New words spoken: The Pre-Safe system can tighten all seat belts before an accident and inflate the seat to better protect the passenger; the revolutionary Night View Assist night vision system, which is different from the previous infrared sensing only For hot objects on the road, Mercedes-Benz specially developed a special photosensitive CMOS element, which can illuminate the entire road environment and display it on the dashboard; BAS PLUS is an emergency braking assist with an active detection function, which can detect the front Pedestrians, vehicles or even the doors of roadside vehicles that may rush off the road suddenly open, and then apply the necessary afterburner to your braking action; Distronic PLUS is a distance control system, combined with the traditional cruise control device, can maintain Automatic acceleration and braking based on the distance of the car in front...

Mercedes-Benz demonstrated this series of new technologies with a special booth at the Frankfurt Auto Show. Among them, the BAS PLUS that impressed me the most was the built-in radar that can detect To the traveling trend and speed of all objects, that is to say, not only can you see the pedestrian, but also calculate whether he is about to rush out of the road, and the advanced level is comparable to military facilities. It is also for this reason that the cutting-edge BAS PLUS and Distronic PLUS systems are temporarily out of the Chinese market, because they both use a 24kHz radar, which has not been licensed in China's civil regulations.

About the lack of equipment, Mercedes-Benz's PR friends have repeatedly told us not to publicize it for fear of attracting protests; but I think it's clearly not Mercedes-Benz's fault. In fact, Mercedes-Benz owns but can't bring China's good things. Mercedes-Benz's diesel engine is also the world's first-class. It is not only environmentally friendly, but also has good power and comfort... But it can only be blamed on China's own environment. ...

Back to the point. Among the new words, Pre-Safe II and BAS PLUS were only activated in a truly critical situation, so I still gave up trying; but the Distronic system was a lot of fun. Push the lever that was originally used for cruise control, and the Distronic function is activated. It can automatically maintain a distance from the vehicle in front between 0 and 200km/h. When the vehicle in front decelerates, it will decelerate, brake, or even stop completely; When the current car accelerates, it will automatically accelerate to the maximum speed value you set. At the same time, the distance from the car in front can also be adjusted by yourself to meet the different habits of each person - of course, it must have sufficient response and efficiency. Only a high braking system dares to do this.

The Distronic can come in handy on high-traffic highways and small stop-and-go traffic jams, and it really relieves the fatigue of repeatedly moving the right foot between the accelerator and brake. But I found that it also has shortcomings: when the front car decelerates, the force of the automatic brake is not uniform, and there is a sense of frustration for a moment. It's a safe design of course (the driver may fall asleep from boredom) if you press the accelerator, but it just makes people feel that it's not "cool" enough automatically.

Sit in a Mercedes-Benz to drive a Mercedes-Benz

When it comes to the chassis of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, everyone knows that it represents comfort: "Sit in a Mercedes-Benz and drive a BMW". But now the entire global car market places more emphasis on driving and handling than ever before, so it also presents a new challenge for the new S-Class – it must not only be comfortable, but also capable of handling. In fact, do people who drive Mercedes-Benz drive very often and vigorously? No, the Mercedes-Benz factory is very aware of this, but they also want to make the new S-Class invincible in this regard - at least not to be the opponent's talking point. So the whole new S car series uses the AIRMATIC air suspension with adjustable soft and hard, through a "C->S->M" button on the center console (the BMW 7 series also has a very similar button), The working state of the suspension and gearbox can be changed at the same time. In Comfort mode, the comfort of the Mercedes-Benz suspension is impeccable, as was the case with the previous S-Class, not to mention the new generation. Any road surface, any speed, you will not be harassed by impact or noise. When we review the car, we often say that the suspension filter of the car is insufficient. In fact, it is the Mercedes-Benz standard in front of us.

In Sport mode, the suspension of the new S will be lowered by 20mm, making it firmer for cornering, suitable for cornering. It even adds an M mode that allows you to upshift and downshift via buttons behind the steering wheel -- an unprecedented design for a Mercedes-Benz, coupled with fast-ratio steering of just 2.5 laps, you can drive the new car on winding mountain roads The S went after the BMW 7 Series in front. Just -- do customers who buy Mercedes-Benz do this? The designers told me no, that's why they hid those two shift buttons behind the steering wheel so they wouldn't normally be visible. Real S-Class owners don't need them, only us reviewers who can't afford them need them, so the gear shift button is really just there to keep our mouths shut.

Change and change

This time I participated in the global media test drive of the new S, and I am extremely satisfied with the route chosen by Mercedes-Benz. Because this route is basically experiencing life, not cars. On the first day, we drove from Milan, Italy to St.Moritz, a small town in Switzerland, along the beautiful Alpine detour. On the second day, we returned from Switzerland to Como, Italy, which was a winding path through the lakeside and the town along the way. I drove an S500L on the outgoing trip, and S350 and S600L on the return trip. Among them, the S500L is equipped with a newly developed V8 engine developed by Mercedes-Benz, with a horsepower of 388hp, while the twin-turbocharged engine of the S600L reaches a spectrum of 517hp.

However, the only difference between the three cars is the explosive power. The rest are all Mercedes-Benz like that - personable and super perfect. In terms of performance, don't worry, if you drive any S-class on the road, no one else will will bully you. Although driving a new S on a winding mountain road will have the rare dexterity of a Mercedes-Benz sedan, but I enjoy the experience of driving the S600L leisurely through the town - the old European buildings on both sides pass behind the three-pointed star standing at the front of the car, and it is quiet The cabin of the car makes people imagine - it seems that time is changing, but some things can be unchanged, such as this three-pointed star, such as the life stage and attitude declared by driving a Mercedes-Benz S-Class...

Before contacting the new S-Class , I and many foreign media feel that the design of the new car is too obvious to follow the trend, which will damage the tall image of Mercedes-Benz. But after personal contact, I found that the essence and spirit of Mercedes-Benz S-Class has not changed at all. It still pursues cutting-edge technology without hesitation, and still requires only the most perfect answer in technology. Rather than saying that Mercedes-Benz is imitating others, it is better to say that this is just a self-improvement in the development of the S-Class. Only by continuous improvement can we ensure that we continue to be based on the long river of history; only by daring to change can we ensure that what we do not want to change can continue to remain unchanged.