Mercedes-Benz S-500: Supremacy reinstated

Itrsquos commonplace to see average products prefixed lsquobestrsquo these days mdash more a marketing gimmick than an authentically conferred title While good quality is more or less a given for all reputable brands in todayrsquos competitive world itrsquos the tricky topping of innovation along with some infusion of ingenuity that truly qualifies a product as lsquobestrsquo in its respective domain More importantly the claim by the manufacturer should be upheld by the customers and critics alike for it to hold any waterPicsHanoz PatelThe SClass in that context is an outstanding machine Bearing the tag of the lsquoBest Car in the Worldrsquo proudly since ages now the luxury limo has made its maker push the boundaries to new limits and in the process given the world of automobiles and consumers much to appreciate and cherishOf late however after having driven the closest rivals of the previous generation SClass namely the Audi A8 L and the BMW 7 series the gap seems to be narrowing fast We really wondered how much better lsquothe bestrsquo premium automobile can really be when the competing crop almost matched in certain departments and even outclassed it in certain othersDriving the MercAnd then we drove the allnew MercedesBenz S Class the S500 to be precise And we are here to tell you that we are absolutely bamboozled by the manner in which the Stuggartbased premium car maker has reinstated its supremacy in the premium limo segment The new S Class emphatically reinstates its position as the lsquoBest Car in the Worldrsquo and leaps ahead of its competition creating an extensive gap for them mdash rather big to fill too quicklyThe cabin of the new SClass is by far the best we have seen in any automobile Those MB blokes back there in Germany were out on a mission while designing this fuselage mdash to set new benchmarks as regards cabin design quality and craftsmanship MB forbid the use of plastic within the cabin and used high quality expensive materials like metal leather and glass to form the solid and tasteful interior of the new S The cabin features a brand new organic interior design with a wraparound dash new two spoke steering wheel and ambient cabin lighting employing modern LEDs with as many as seven different colors five dimming levels and four dimming zones tochoose fromThere are no speedo or tacho needles inside the SClassrsquos cabin The only real needles you get are on the classy clock mounted on the center of the dash Everything else is taken care of digitally with two large hiresolution screens one above the centre console and another one serving as the instrument panel representing the gigabytes of data needed to control the innumerable features and functions offered on this technological marvelSilent and fastOn the move on a well laid out road the SClass astonishes you with the quiet within the cabin Itrsquos surreal and eerie from the inside almost perturbing for an automobile in motion Itrsquos only as the digital rev needle swings past the 4000 rpm mark that you get to hear a distant purr from the big V8 engine There is close to 460bhp and 700Nm on tap from that monstrous engine and it makes the S Class accelerate extremely fast mdash but in an awfully sophisticated smooth and jerkfree mannerThe back seats of the car are designed to turn even the snootiest shrewdest businessmen into puppy faced kids once they get cosseted by the luxury Both backseats get their individual entertainmentcumcontrol screens You can watch movies see the navigation screen browse the Internet or just listen to music while also getting a hot relaxing massage There are as many as six massage programmes to choose from Under the rear central armrest you have aircraft style pull out tray tables for both the back seats passengers mdash MB has left no stone unturned in ensuring that you travel business class in every wayperceivableWith the push of a button the front passenger seat automatically moves ahead and lowers to make available the maximum amount of space to the rear left seat passenger Entertainment is provided by a 24 speaker Burmester speaker system optional which delivers the best sound we have heard on any car The front components of the system also twirl out in dramatic fashion when the system is turned on to add a bit of visual glamour to the incredible sound You can probably hold a gig with the S Class being your only sound output so good is this audio systemThere are cameras all around offering a 180 degree or 360 degree views mdash as per your choice The Airmatic suspension allows you to soften or stiffen the suspension with the press of a button It doesnrsquot matter whether you are in Sport or Comfort mode though as hardly any thuds ever percolate inside the cabin even on some of the most tattered roads You also get to increase the ride height of the car with just the press of a button while traversing those cratered roads Handling is terrific tooCut above the restThe car features the wondrous thermal imaging tech for pedestrians you may have overlooked It identifies pedestrians and big animals automatically and marks them in red on the instrument screen to alert the driver It even flashes the headlight automatically to alert the pedestriansFeatures abound and this little space here would never be enough to list all of them You get heated armrests tyre pressures monitors Adaptive Braking Attention Assist and whole bevy of safety comfort and convenience features Some items on this list are standard some of them are optional mdash but the list of features and the level of technology involved on this machine is by far the most elaborateThe new Sclass is lighter more luxurious better equipped quieter safer and more tastefully appointed than any other such car in todayrsquos date Its exquisite cabin mdash an astonishing blend of quality good taste and workmanship lifts its stature several rungs above any other car we can think of as of date It rightfully claims the badge of the Best Car in the World once againPrice Rs 16 croreEngine 4663cc V8 Power 455bhp52505500rpmTorque 700Nm18003500rpmAcceleration 0100kmh 48 secondsTop speed 250 kmh limited