Mercedes-Benz S-Class

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Current S-Class sedan: the 222 series

S-Class refers to the luxury class of the Mercedes-Benz car brand . It stands for luxurious sedans and coupes . In autumn 1972, the 116 series was the first S-Class officially designated by Mercedes-Benz (MB) to appear. The top models from Mercedes-Benz had already been called S before that.

The S-Class coupé, which first appeared in the 126 series, became more stylistically independent from autumn 1992 ( C 140 series ) and from 1999 to 2014 ( C 215 series ) and has been called the CL-Class since mid-1996 . With the C 217 , a model known as the S-Class Coupé has been marketed again since mid-2014 , but the visual independence of the Coupé has remained, as is now common in automotive engineering.

The tenth generation of the S-Class appeared in May 2013.

Transfer of terms and particularities

Only with the introduction of the 116 series in September in 1972, was in the brochures of the "S-Class" ( special class ) talk, sometimes has been, or is the predecessor - the series W 108 / 109 - referred to as "old S-Class" . Mercedes-Benz describes the W 108/109 models as “the actual hour of birth of the S-Class, even if it wasn't called that at the time.” (Quote from the advertising video for the introduction of the 221 series ). Harry Niemann wrote in the “Illustrated Chronicle of Daimler-Benz AG” (publisher: Daimler-Benz Group Archive): “Even if the designation was only officially used for the 116 series from 1972, the 250 S types are the first S-Classes up to 300 SEL 6.3 (1965 to 1972) ".

The S-Class of the 220 series (1998-2005) is characterized by a. - with the exception of the S 600, which was only available with steel suspension ( Active Body Control ) - by a standard air suspension . This is considered to be elaborately designed and very robust.

The S-Class (221) is offered ex works as a special protection vehicle of resistance class B6 / B7.

The S-Class (221) is also available as a stretch limousine ( S 600 Pullman Guard ). It is only available with the above armor.

For many years, the S-Class was the best-selling luxury vehicle in the world, Europe and Germany. There were exceptions (as is usual in the automotive market) towards the end and the beginning of a model cycle. Two examples: more BMW 7 Series than S-Class vehicles were sold on the German market in 2004 ; In 2012, more BMW 7 Series and more Audi A8s were sold as S-Classes.

Series

designation construction time number of pieces Entry price (approx. Including VAT) Entry price adjusted for inflation length width height wheelbase Empty weight
116 series : 1972-1980 473.035 23,800 DM € 38,673 4960 mm 1870 mm 1410 mm 2860 mm 1660 kg
126 series : 1979-1991 818.036 35,900 DM € 41,609 4995 mm 1820 mm 1407 mm 2850 mm 1510 kg
Series 140 : 1991-1998 406,532 79,000 DM € 64,982 5113 mm 1886 mm 1486 mm 3065 mm 1890 kg
Series 220 : 1998-2005 484,683 113,000 DM € 77,566 5038 mm 1855 mm 1444 mm 2965 mm 1810 kg
Series 221 : 2005-2013 > 500,000 € 72,000 € 87,790 5079 mm 1872 mm 1473 mm 3035 mm 1880 kg
Series 222 : since 2013 > 350,000 € 80,000 € 85,506 5116 mm 1899 mm 1494 mm 3035 mm 1925 kg

Technical features

The S-Class has always been an innovator in modern automotive technology. As a high-priced pioneer, it brought innovations onto the market, some of which subsequently found widespread use.

Type 220, series 187
(1951 to 1954):
  • Newly designed six-cylinder engine with an overhead camshaft
  • Security mortise lock against the opening of the doors
  • Fan heater available
  • Duplex drum brakes at the front
187 series
Types 220 a, 219, 220 S and 220 SE, series 105 / 128 / 180
(1954-1959)
  • Self-supporting body in pontoon shape
  • Subframe -Vorderradaufhängung
  • Single-joint pendulum axle with lowered pivot point
  • Brake drums with "turbo cooling"
  • Hydraulic-automatic clutch "Hydrak"
180 series
Types 220 b, 220 Sb, 220 SEb, 300 SE, series 111 and 112
(1959 to 1965)
  • Safety passenger cell with crumple zones (front and rear)
  • Padded steering wheel
  • Tapered door locks
  • Disc brakes (300 SE)
  • Three-point belts
  • Four-speed automatic transmission
  • Air suspension (300 SE)
  • Long version available (300 SE)
111 series
250 S - 300 SE, SEL 300 - 300 SEL 6.3, series 108 / 109 (1965-1972)
  • First S-Class with an 8-cylinder engine
  • Patented safety steering
  • Hydropneumatic balancing spring on the rear axle
108 series
S-Class 116 series
(1972 to 1980)
  • Anti-lock braking system (ABS) from 1978
  • Mercedes' largest post-war passenger car engine with a displacement of 6.8 liters in the 450 SEL 6.9
  • Double wishbone front axle from the test vehicle C 111
  • Fuel tank installed over the rear axle to protect against collision
  • Security interior
  • First luxury sedan with diesel engine (300 SD)
116 series
S-Class 126 series
(1979 to 1991)
  • New safety concept, the world's first production vehicle to meet the criterion of an asymmetrical frontal impact (offset crash)
  • Driver airbag and belt tensioner from 1981
  • Passenger airbag from 1985
  • Three-point seat belts on the back seat
  • Automatic limited slip differential
  • Traction control (ASR)
126 series
S-Class 140 series
(1991 to 1998)
  • Networking of some control units via the CAN bus
  • Labeling of even the smallest plastic parts according to type in order to improve recycling
  • Voice control (Linguatronic) for speaker-independent control of the car phone
  • Electronic parking aid (Parktronic)
  • Electronic stability program (ESP)
  • Double panes of glass to improve the thermal insulation, but above all the sound insulation
  • automatic emergency call system Tele-Aid
  • First S-Class with a V12 engine (600 SE / L or S. 600 / L) with 300 kW or 290 kW from model year 1994
140 series
S-Class 220 series
(1998 to 2005)
  • Distance control system Distronic
  • Keyless Go keyless access and start authorization system
  • Pre-Safe preventive security system
  • Airmatic - air suspension on all 4 wheels with adaptive damping and level control at the front and rear
  • TV with teletext - even while driving for the rear passengers
  • Remote trunk lid closing - trunk lid opens and closes hydraulically
  • First use of cylinder deactivation by Mercedes-Benz for the types S 500 and S 600
  • COMAND d. H. First use of a navigation device with LC screen (4: 3), from 09/2002 16: 9 format
  • For the first time active control of steel suspension and damping with Active Body Control (first use in the CL-Coupé )
220 series
S-Class 221 series
(2005 to 2013)
  • Night vision assistant
  • Distance control system Distronic Plus with radar-controlled brake assist and pre-safe brake
  • Digital 5.1 surround sound system
  • electronic parking aid via the short-range radar
  • Stepless door brake for the first time at Mercedes-Benz
  • adaptive break light
  • Splitview navigation display (since the facelift 06/2009)
  • Mild hybrid drive with lithium-ion battery and energy recovery when braking and coasting
  • First S-Class with a four-cylinder engine in the S 250 CDI BlueEfficiency with a standard fuel consumption of just 5.7 liters
Series 221
S-Class model series 222
(since 2013)
  • Comand online system based on the latest NTG 5. Two 12.3-inch LC screens are installed.
  • The world's first vehicle that only has light-emitting diodes that replace light bulbs.
  • The world's first vehicle with a predictive, active chassis based on a stereo camera: Magic Body Control with Road Surface Scan .
  • The world's first vehicle with a ghost driver warning system.
  • Newly developed intersection assistant
  • Newly developed Lane Keeping Assist
  • Rear seat belts with airbags
  • First S-Class with plug-in hybrid in the S 500 plug-in hybrid with 2.8 liters of standard consumption
222 series

literature

  • Heribert Hofner: The S-Class from Mercedes-Benz , Bechtermünz Verlag; Augsburg 1997; ISBN 3-86047-589-4 .
  • Martin Häußermann: Mercedes-Benz S-Class. The brochures since 1952 , archive edition of the DaimlerChrysler corporate archive, Delius Klasing Bielefeld, 2005; ISBN 3-7688-1718-0 .
  • Christof Vieweg: S-Class - Masterpiece on Wheels , Delius Klasing Verlag; June 2006; ISBN 3-7688-1802-0 .

Web links

Commons : Mercedes-Benz S-Class  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. Mercedes flies the flag , faz.net, May 15, 2013
  2. http://www.autokiste.de/psg/1009/9019.htm .