Mercedes-Benz series 221

Mercedes Benz
Mercedes-Benz S 320 CDI L (2005-2009)
Series 221
Sales designation:	S-class
Production period:	09 / 2005-06 / 2013
Class :	Upper class
Body versions :	limousine
Engines:	Otto engines : 3.0–6.2 liters (170–463 kW) Otto hybrid : 3.5 liters (220 kW) Diesel engines : 2.1–4.0 liters (150–235 kW)
Length:	5079-5230 mm
Width:	1872 mm
Height:	1473 mm
Wheelbase :	3035-3165 mm
Empty weight :	1880-2270 kg
Previous model	Mercedes-Benz 220 series
successor	Mercedes-Benz model series 222

The Mercedes-Benz 221 series is a luxury- class vehicle from Mercedes-Benz that was built between September 2005 and June 2013. It succeeded the 220 series , whose production began in early 1998 and whose sale was discontinued at the end of 2005, and represents the ninth generation of the S-Class . It was presented to the public for the first time at the IAA in September 2005 and was launched in autumn Delivered in 2005. In May 2009 it experienced a facelift . From its appearance until it was replaced, the 221 series was the global market leader in the luxury sedan segment.

After a total of 537,519 copies produced, production at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Sindelfingen ended on June 3, 2013. The last vehicle of the 221 series produced was an obsidian black S500 4matic, which was transferred to the collection of the Mercedes Museum . On May 15, 2013, the successor model, the 222 series, was presented.

Model history

General

Rear view

After the S-Class had shrunk during the previous generation change, because the model of the 140 series was felt to be out of date in Europe due to its enormous dimensions, a car that was only slightly larger in terms of dimensions, but visually significantly larger, was presented with which Daimler AG ( DaimlerChrysler until 2007 ) achieved higher sales figures, especially in North America and China.

In contrast to the normal version (W 221), the models with a long wheelbase have the internal designation V 221 . The V 221 was also available from the manufacturer as a special protection vehicle under the name S-Guard for the S 600 L versions and, up to 2010, the S 450 CDI . A car of this design also served the former German President Horst Köhler as a company car. At the Paris Motor Show 2008, an S 600 Pullman Guard was presented in the highest bullet class B6 / B7, which is around 6.36 m long with a 4.32 m wheelbase.

The coupé based on the 221 series - the CL-Class (C 216) - was launched on the market in September 2006. The change in the name of the Coupé to S-Class Coupé , which was expected with the introduction of their facelift in mid-2010 , was not implemented, however, but only from 2014 with the successor C 217 .

The 221 series optionally received the first infrared night vision assistant available in Germany . In addition to the bi-xenon headlights , far-reaching infrared headlights illuminate the road. The reflected light and thermal radiation from objects (people, animals, vehicles, etc.) is recorded by a video camera and the image is displayed on the TFT screen in the instrument cluster . This increases the visual range to 120 m, compared to approx. 60 m with dipped beam. However, the system does not work properly with oncoming vehicles that are equipped with the same system. Standard equipment among other security features included: Adaptive brake lights ( LED ), Pre-Safe with Brake Assist BAS Plus, from 2006 pre-safe brake , electromechanical parking brake as well as an additional charge to a short-range radar advanced Distronic Plus . Since November 2009, the automatic emergency call system mbrace , which was taken over from the predecessor model, was used on the North American market as the successor to the replaced Tele-Aid system.

In addition, the control logic of the COMAND electronic control and display system has been fundamentally renewed and is now operated centrally via a turn-push-slide control, similar to the Audi MMI or BMW iDrive . In addition, a mobile phone pre-installation (code 386) with the SIM access profile was available since 10/2006 . The 221 series was also the first automobile to offer a fully digital and discreetly integrated 5.1 surround sound system. This was made possible by DTCP technology ( Digital Transmission Content Protection ). This digital encryption by Harman / Kardon enables copy-protected transmission of the signals via fiber optic cables from the source to the amplifier. This eliminates the need to convert digital signals into analog ones, which means that for the first time modern multi-channel formats of DVD audio and video as well as DTS CDs can be played in the vehicle without loss.

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  Special protection vehicle of the Federal President

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  Interior of the S 320 CDI L (2005–2009)

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  Headlights with infrared light

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  S 65 L AMG (2006-2010)

Facelift

In June 2009 the S-Class was revised both technically and optically. The exterior was modified in the following details: The shape of the exterior mirrors was changed and adapted to the look of the 212 and 207 series, the headlights received a new graphic, the front bumper was redesigned and got more angular air inlets and smaller fog lights and daytime running lights in LED -Technology. Further features are an arrow-shaped and angular grille, taillights with LEDs without elements painted in body color. The new rear bumper including the rear apron with an indicated diffuser has been supplemented by visible, trapezoidal tailpipes. The driver assistance systems have also been optimized. The pre-safe brake now offers a fully automatic emergency braking function to a standstill, and the night vision assistant has been improved.

Since the facelift, the adaptive high-beam assistant ( adaptive cut-off line ) from the E-Class has also ensured optimized illumination of the road at night in the S-Class : the headlight range is always set so that the cone of light in front of the bumper of the vehicle ahead or oncoming vehicle ends. If no other road user is detected, the high beam is activated with a smooth transition. Also known from the E-Class is the traffic sign recognition , which recognizes speed restrictions and shows the driver on a screen, or the lane assistant , which warns of unintentional departure from the road by means of a steering wheel vibration. In addition, since the facelift there has been a crosswind assistant that prevents you from getting out of lane in strong crosswinds. This system was installed in the S-Class for the first time in the world and was only available in conjunction with the Active Body Control suspension.

The standard safety equipment was supplemented by the Attention Assistant , which monitors a number of parameters such as the driver's steering behavior and warns of impending fatigue. Contrary to all expectations, the S 350 with 200 kW (272 PS) was not replaced by the direct injection S 350 CGI with 215 kW (292 PS). In addition, the S 400 HYBRID was offered from June 2009 , which developed 205 kW (279 hp) from a gasoline engine and 15 kW (20 hp) from an electric motor. The engine range was rounded off in 2011 by the S 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY with 150 kW (204 PS), which was already used in the C and E-Class .

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  S-Class L (2009-2013)

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  S-Class L (2009-2013)

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  S 300 BlueTEC HYBRID (IAA 2007)

Technical specifications

General

Only the petrol S 350 (L) and S 500 (L) were available when the model was launched. In 2006, the engine range for the was S 300 L (Asian), the S 450 (L) and the S 600 L extended. At the same time, the top models S 63 AMG (L) and S 65 AMG L from the in-house tuner AMG were introduced. For the first time, the two diesel engines S 320 CDI (L) and S 420 CDI (L) also found their way into the 221 series in 2006 .

At the end of 2008, the S 320 CDI (L) became a BlueEFFICIENCY model. At Mercedes, this designation stands for models that are more economical in terms of fuel consumption thanks to various measures. The S 320 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY (L), for example, has demand-controlled power steering, an automatic transmission with stationary decoupling and tires with reduced rolling resistance.

With the model update in June 2009, the engine range was expanded to include the hybrid model S 400 HYBRID . At the same time, the diesels were adapted to the new nomenclature. The S 320 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY (L) became an S 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY (L) and the S 420 CDI (L) became an S 450 CDI (L) .

The 221 series was only available with a seven-speed automatic transmission. For the first time, the well-known seven-speed automatic 7G-Tronic was also used in conjunction with the 4MATIC all - wheel drive . The twelve-cylinder models S 600 L and S 65 AMG L occupy a special position ; they were only offered with a long wheelbase and, due to their high torque, only with a five-speed automatic.

In some markets there are deviations from the German offer. B. in North America the S 500 under the name S 550 and only offered in the long version. In selected Asian markets - including China and Malaysia - on the other hand, a long version of the S 300 was the basic model in the range. In Egypt, the S-Class was offered in two versions, S 350 and S 500, each with a short and long wheelbase.

The mild hybrid version ( S 400 HYBRID ), available since June 2009 , in which a 15 kW (20 hp) electric motor supports the gasoline engine, especially in city traffic, and also replaces the generator, is the world's first hybrid model with a space-saving lithium-ion -Battery . Further hybrid models followed in 2010:

since 2009:

• S 400 HYBRID : V-six-cylinder petrol engine with 205 kW ( S 350 ) plus 15 kW electric motor, system output 220 kW, 385 Nm torque and average consumption of 7.9 l / 100 km petrol

Originally planned from 2011 at the earliest, later discarded:

• S 300 BlueTEC HYBRID : new 2.1-liter in-line four-cylinder diesel engine with 150 kW plus 15 kW electric motor, system output 165 kW, 560 Nm torque and average consumption of 5.4 l / 100 km diesel
• S 400 BlueTEC HYBRID : 3.0-liter V-six-cylinder diesel engine, increased output to 180 kW plus 15 kW electric motor, system output 195 kW, 630 Nm torque and average consumption of 5.8 l / 100 km diesel

On July 1, 2010, the two previous diesels S 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY and S 450 CDI were removed from the range. The reason given by Mercedes-Benz was that they only meet the Euro 4 emissions standard. A revised version of the S 350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY - the S 350 BlueTEC - which complies with the Euro 6 standard, was introduced to replace these engines . This makes it one of the cleanest diesels in the world. From April 2011 it will have an automatic start-stop system as standard , which should help to further reduce fuel consumption. At the same time, the AMG models were also revised. The output of the S 65 AMG has been increased from 450 to 463 kW (630 PS). The S 63 AMG was replaced by a completely newly developed engine. In addition, this model received a completely new drive train. The 7G-Tronic was replaced by the AMG-MCT-7-Speedshift automatic including the start-stop system and wet starting clutch without a torque converter . For the S 63 AMG , there was an AMG Performance Package Plus for an extra charge , which includes an increase in output to 420 kW (571 hp) and 900 Nm as well as electronic governing at 300 km / h.

From the end of September 2010, two completely newly developed engines were offered, which were delivered in Germany from March 2011: On the one hand, the 3.5-liter V6 in the S 350 BlueEFFICIENCY , which generates 225 kW (306 PS), and on the other hand, the S 500 BlueEFFICIENCY with an output of 320 kW (435 hp). The newly developed spray-guided direct multiple injection of the third generation with multiple ignition in conjunction with the standard start-stop system and the new seven-speed automatic 7G-TRONIC Plus was decisive for the increase in efficiency of the new gasoline engines . As a result of these changes, the consumption of the S 350 BlueEFFICIENCY was reduced by 24 percent to 7.6 liters compared to the predecessor engine - the S 350 , and that of the S 500 BlueEFFICIENCY by 15.5 percent to 9.4 liters compared to the predecessor S 500 become. The S 450 was discontinued in Germany.

This makes these two engines more economical than the comparable ones from the competition. The S 350 BlueEFFICIENCY (225 kW) consumes 7.6 liters of Super per 100 kilometers. The 15 kW more powerful BMW 740i is listed with 9.9 liters, the Audi A8 3.0 TFSI with 213 kW (290 PS) comes with all-wheel drive to 9.1 liters. The S 500 BlueEFFICIENCY with 320 kW consumes 9.4 liters; 11.4 liters at 299 kW (407 PS) is the BMW specification for the 750i , while the Audi gets by with a significantly lower output (274 kW / 372 PS) with all-wheel drive with 9.5 liters.

At the same time as the new gasoline engines, a four-cylinder engine in the S-Class could also be ordered for the first time . It was the 2.1 liter in-line four-cylinder diesel engine ( OM 651 ) with biturbo, which has an output of 150 kW (204 hp) and is already familiar from the C and E classes . The consumption is given as 5.7 liters. This made the S-Class the most economical sedan in its segment.

 * The engine designation is coded as follows: M = engine, OM = oil engine, series = 3 digits, E = intake manifold injection, KE = port injection, DE = direct injection, ML = compressor, L = charge air cooling, A = exhaust gas turbocharger, red. = reduced performance / displacement, LS = performance increase

Environmental certificate

The S 400 HYBRID , the world's first hybrid model with a lithium-ion battery , was the first luxury- class hybrid car in the world to receive the environmental certificate from TÜV Süd, which certifies that this car has been used throughout its entire life cycle - from manufacture through daily operation to recycling - the environment is less polluted than comparable products. Around 18 percent less CO ₂ emissions are emitted than the S 350 . 40,000 individual processes were used to determine this balance. All environmentally relevant processes from development through production and use to recycling were examined. For example, a large number of recycled components and natural materials made from renewable raw materials are used in the S-Class .

Previously, in 2005 , the S-Class was the first car in the world to receive this environmental certificate.

Sales and comparison with competing products

In 2006, 85,900 S-Class vehicles were delivered worldwide , which means the top position. The 7 series from BMW came to 50,199 units. Third place was taken by the Lexus LS , which sold 34,833 vehicles. The Audi A8 22 468 new cars were sold worldwide.

In 2007 the S-Class was able to keep the top position with sales of 85,500 units. The Lexus LS followed in second place with 71,760 sedans. The BMW 7 Series sold 44,421 models and the Audi A8 stagnated at 22,182 vehicles.

In 2008, too, the S-Class remained the best-selling luxury -class car worldwide, with 90,600 vehicles sold. In second place followed 7 Series from BMW with 38,835 units. Sales of the Audi A8 fell to 20,140 vehicles.

In 2009 the S-Class remained the most successful luxury vehicle worldwide. With 53,400 vehicles delivered, it only just beat the new generation of the BMW 7 Series , which appeared at the end of 2008 , with 52,680 units. In Germany, the 7 Series prevailed with 7352 to 6617 units of the S-Class , which in 2008 also marked the top. The Audi A8 followed behind with vehicles newly registered in 2013, of which 8599 units were sold worldwide as of 2009.
In 2009, China was the most important market for the S-Class . The market share there was around 40 percent of its segment, making the 221 series by far the number one. The Chinese market thus replaced North America, which was the focus of S-Class sales for several years , and pushed North America into second place. Germany's market is the third most important for the 221 series .

Mercedes hoped that the S 400 HYBRID would make up 15 percent of all S-Classes sold worldwide . In 2009 this was even around 20 percent.

In 2010, the S-Class was able to hold its own against the BMW 7 Series , which appeared in 2008, and the Audi A8 , which appeared in 2010 , and continued to hold the top of the luxury class in the German registration statistics. It came to 5177 units and was able to hold its own against the BMW 7 Series , which had 5074 new vehicles registered as of 2010. Audi was able to register new 4752 sedans from the A8 . Even when global sales could the S-Class just against 66,500 units 7 Series from BMW that comes to 65,814 vehicles claim. In addition, the Chinese market remained the most important for the S-Class in 2010 ; here sales rose by 67 percent to 25,000 vehicles.

In 2011 the S-Class was only slightly ahead of the BMW 7 Series worldwide . While the former came to around 68,969 units, 68,774 vehicles of the 7-series BMW were sold. The Audi A8 followed clearly behind with 34,245 vehicles. In Germany, the 7 Series was able to assert itself against the 221 series for the first time since its appearance : 5062 7 Series BMWs were newly registered in Germany in 2011, the S-Class came to 4730 units, which means second place. Third was the Audi A8 with 4728 units. The most important market again this year was China with 31,050 S-Class units sold, ahead of the USA with 12,258 units.

In 2012, 65,128 units were sold worldwide, which means that it retained the leading position at this level, as 59,184 vehicles of the BMW 7 Series and 38,636 vehicles of the Audi A8 were sold in the same period . In Germany, however, the S-Class , with 3,304 new registrations, was subject to both the Audi A8 with 3,675 units and the BMW 7 Series , which had 4,457 new registrations. This year too, China remained the largest market for the S-Class . 33,140 new vehicles of the 221 series were sold there. The USA sold 11,794 models of this series.

Since the market launch of the 221 series in 2005, over 440,000 vehicles were sold by the end of 2011. Over 500,000 units had been sold by July 2012. This made it the world's most successful luxury sedan in mid-2012 and, based on a period of around seven years of production, it was also the most successful luxury sedan of all time, even before the 126 series , which sold 818,036 vehicles within around eleven years.

Prizes and awards

In November 2005 the S-Class received the “ Golden Steering Wheel 2005” in the luxury class. One month later, in December, she was awarded the “Luxury Topauto” award. Both awards come from Germany. In January 2006, Great Britain received the “Best Luxury Car” award, which is given by the “What Car?” Organizer. In March 2006, the S-Class was named “Fleet Car of the year” in Austria. In November 2007 it won the Auto-Zeitung readers' choice “Auto Trophy 2007” in the luxury class. Finally, in January 2008, it also won the readers' choice “The best cars of 2008” in the luxury class; this prize is awarded by the magazine auto motor und sport .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ according to Autobild.de , September 23, 2008
2. ↑ Mercedes press release ( Memento of the original from September 14, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed September 23, 2008 
3. ↑ PDF on Daimler.com ( Memento of the original dated May 24, 2012 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
4. ↑ http://www.hella.com/hella-com/620.html?rdeLocale=de
5. ↑ Mercedes-Benz S 320 CDI Blue Efficiency: Most economical S-Class October 2, 2008
6. ↑ Mercedes S-Class with two new petrol engines September 7, 2010
7. ^ Environmental certificate for Mercedes-Benz S 400 Hybrid , July 21, 2009
8. ↑ Lifecycle: Environmental certificate for the S 400 HYBRID ( Memento of the original from April 1, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
9. ↑ ^{a b} Mercedes-Benz Cars increases sales in 2007 to ...
10. ↑ BMW Group 2006 with new sales record: 3.5 percent growth compared to the previous year Global market leadership in the premium segment defended ( Memento of the original from October 31, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
11. ↑ ^{a b} Toning Down the 'Bangle Butt', BMW Redesigns Its 7 Series
12. ↑ Audi Annual Report 2006 (PDF; 165 kB)
13. ↑ Audi Annual Report 2007 (PDF; 204 kB)
14. ↑ Mercedes-Benz Cars delivered 1,256,600 vehicles worldwide in 2008
15. ↑ Annual Report 2008: BMW Group ( Memento of the original from January 6, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 10.7 MB) 
16. ↑ Audi Annual Report 2008 (PDF; 466 kB)
17. ↑ ^{a b} Mercedes-Benz premium brand with strongest growth in December and fourth quarter ( memento of the original from March 5, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
18. ↑ BMW Group: Positive group result for 2009 in sight
19. ↑ Audi in facts and figures 2009 (PDF; 5.4 MB)
20. ↑ The bestsellers in the luxury class 2009: BMW 7 Series ahead of Mercedes S-Class and Audi A8
21. ↑ Speech manuscript: Shell-Energie-Dialog Stuttgart, Auto-Mobility in Transition - Alternative Drives Before the Breakthrough?
22. ↑ New car registrations 2010: These are the bestsellers of the year
23. ↑ New car registrations 2010: These are the bestsellers of the year
24. ↑ New car registrations 2010: These are the bestsellers of the year
25. ↑ Successful year for Mercedes-Benz: Worldwide sales increase of 15 percent in 2010 ( Memento of the original from October 2, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Stuttgart, January 7, 2011 
26. ↑ BMW Group extends its lead as a leading supplier of premium automobiles ( Memento of the original from January 13, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. 
27. ↑ Mercedes sells twice as much in China Automobilwoche, January 12, 2011
28. ↑ Mercedes-Benz achieves the best May in the company's history ( Memento of the original from December 30, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Stuttgart, June 6, 2011 
29. ↑ The Mercedes-Benz S-Class 2009 . Daimler AG. May 11, 2009. Archived from the original on September 22, 2011. Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Retrieved February 13, 2010.  

Web links

Commons : Mercedes-Benz 221 series  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Official website