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Leith Cars Blog

S-Class, Your Executive Jet on Wheels

We’re sure you love driving a high-performance machine as much as we do here at LeithCars.com, but for our 10th episode of Zero To 60TV, we decided to take a more relaxed approach.

You see, we wanted to enjoy all the luxury and technical amenities the new 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has to offer. We quickly discovered first-hand that our test car, the new S560, is the closest thing yet to having your very own executive jet – without the wings.

Steve rode shotgun while Mark took to the aft cabin in order to enjoy the massaging seats and limo-like legroom.

As Mercedes-Benz of Raleigh eBrand Specialist Farhan Ghanty drove us through the quiet neighborhoods of North Raleigh and on the frenetic freeway of I-540, the new S-Class proved itself equally adaptable in either environment.

We made a wise choice to allow Farhan to do the piloting on this executive tour, as we were able to focus on and enjoy some of the amenities built into the S560’s cabin. Sumptuous, top-stitched leather upholstery covers nearly every surface and is beautifully complimented by exotic, handcrafted wood trim and aluminum accents. This is an interior tailored for the luxe comfort of both passenger and driver.

They stop on a dime and look like a million. The optional 20-inch AMG wheels are fitted with high-performance tires.

So how does the new S-Class perform on the open road or along the rolling hills of suburbia? To simply call it flawless would be an understatement. The S560 for example, our test car, came equipped with a 4.0 liter bi-turbo V8, boasting a whopping 463 horespower and 516 pound-feet of torque. Along with its advanced 4MATIC® all-wheel drive, the S560 is capable of traveling from zero to 60 mph in a pavement-scorching 4.6 seconds. Mind you, that’s in a full-size metallic wrapper weighing just over 4,600 pounds!

While you’re enjoying the quickness and precision of this vehicle, you’re also completely reassured that the S-Class is firmly planted on the pavement. A slew of advanced safety and stability systems are at work every microsecond. There really is no sensation of speed, just the blurring of scenery outside your window. Of course, if you are enjoying the extra legroom and foot rest found in the rear cabin like we did, you might just decide to roll down the privacy shade and take a nap. Sweet dreams indeed.

Farhan Ghanty, eBrand Specialist, piloted our Mercedes-Benz S560 at times. Much of the time, the car simply drove itself.

What other advanced technologies come into play here, making the S560 such a calm and assured experience? As Farhan explained, while taking a spirited jaunt on North Raleigh’s Outer Loop, this car rides on an AIRMATIC® semi-active suspension. Simply put, the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class uses electronically controlled air springs that adjust to changing conditions on the road. This intuitive system helps compensate for additional cargo or passengers and lowers the ride height of the car at higher speeds to improve stability, aerodynamics and efficiency.

A pair of 12.3-inch, high-definition displays mimic traditional gauges, giving you advanced tech with a familiar look.

While in the command seat of the S560, Farhan spoke about the level of preventive safety technology that is constantly monitoring, computing and ready to step in if and when needed to assist the driver and protect the occupants. For example, radar-based technology can alert you if you’re approaching a vehicle ahead, or even some stationary objects, at a speed and distance that suggest a collision is likely. Another example of this leading-edge technology can be employed at most driving speeds when the car’s radar helps sense when a vehicle enters your blind-spot area.

Want more safety and preventive tech? You’ve got it, as the new S-Class interprets information continually supplied by the car’s Electronic Stability Program (ESP®). Electric power steering and suspension sensors help detect the effects of strong side winds on the vehicle’s handling stability at highway speeds, all part of the Crosswind Assist system.

With technology that monitors ordinary road markings, Lane Keeping Assist can help detect unintended drifting off-course and alerts the driver by vibrating the steering wheel.

There are also a couple of Mercedes-Benz firsts to speak of. Pre-Safe® is used to detect instability during certain vehicle maneuvers that suggest a collision or rollover is imminent. It can then tighten the front seat belts, adjust the front passenger seat, and close the windows and sunroof, all in an effort to better prepare the occupants and restraints in the moments before a collision. We hope you’ll never need it, but it’s very reassuring to know it’s there, sort of like a security blanket when you were a child.

The next marvel of preventive safety is called Attention Assist®. It continuously monitors up to 70 parameters of driving behavior and can automatically alert the driver with both visual and audible warnings if it detects signs of drowsiness on long trips. Isn’t it nice to know you’ve always got a co-pilot looking out for you?

New, optional AMG sculpting up front, along the side sills and rear valence, visually hug the road and can cause a bit of rubbernecking by other drivers, too.

Beyond all the safety tech, creature comforts and performance capability of the new 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class that we’ve already covered, there’s an even more extensive menu of features and amenities – ultra wide beam LED headlights for improved night vision, 64-color LED ambient lighting in the cabin and an array of fragrances designed to help you vary the mood are just a few examples. The new S-Class, and in particular, the S560 equipped with the optional “Executive Rear Seat Package PLUS” our team was invited to sample, is an automotive potpourri best experienced in person. Request an appointment today with Mercedes-Benz of Raleigh.