Motoring Weekly

S-Class apart when it comes to luxury

September 23 - 29, 2009
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Gulf Weekly S-Class apart when it comes to luxury

Mercedes-Benz's 2009 version of the S-Class, the German luxury sedan, offers an array of innovations in comfort and drive engineering.

Technology highlights include the world's first standard production hybrid drive with a lithium-ion battery in the S 400 Hybrid, which makes the top-of-the-line model the most economical petrol-engine luxury saloon.

The new look S-Class and its many features is already causing a huge amount of interest at Al Haddad Motors in Sanabis.

General manager Dr Ulf Ausprung said: "The car was even attracting a lot of showroom traffic before its launch. People have been anxiously waiting for it ... and now it's here, they love it! We believe the car will be very succesful.

"The facelift is substantial - the wood, the colours and leather has changed as well as the steering. The car also has LED lights - both front and rear - as well as a refurbished grill. Even the exhaust pipes have been improved giving it a very masculine look.

"In two months time we will be launching the S400 Hybrid - the first one in the Middle East."

The S-Class's traditionally exemplary standard of safety has been further enhanced by a unique combination of innovative camera and radar-based driver assistance systems which turn the luxury saloon into an 'intelligent' partner on the road.

These systems include Adaptive Highbeam Assist, Lane Keeping Assist and the advanced Night View Assist PLUS facility. Other innovations are the 'attention assist' drowsiness detection function and automatic crosswind stabilisation.

As a world first, on request Mercedes-Benz will equip its flagship model with the new 'splitview' technology for the control and display system centrally located in the centre console.

This innovative display concept allows the driver and front passenger to view different content simultaneously on one and the same screen. While the driver uses the map-based navigation system, for example, the front passenger can be watching the latest film on DVD.

The maker's are particularly proud of their new S 400 Hybrid which will boast fuel consumption of 7.9 litres per 100 kilometres which corresponds to carbon dioxide emissions of just 186 grammes per kilometre. This is the lowest level worldwide in this vehicle segment, which Mercedes-Benz says confirms it as the 'CO2 champion of the luxury class'.

The modified 3.5 litre petrol engine generates 279 hp, while the electric motor produces 20 hp and starting torque of 160 Nm.

During braking the electric motor acts as a generator, and is able to recover kinetic energy by a process known as recuperation. During this process the electric motor works together sensitively with the engine brake of the internal combustion engine and the conventional wheel brakes. The recuperated energy is stored by a compact but efficient lithium-ion battery in the engine compartment, and retrieved when required.

Major advantages over conventional nickel/metal hydride batteries include a higher energy density and greater electrical efficiency combined with more compact dimensions and a low battery weight. The hybrid module also has a convenient start-stop function.

Apart from the trailblazing hybrid, the range of engines for the 2009 S-Class comprises six petrol engines with six, eight and 12 cylinders.

Detailed fine-tuning of these engines has been supplemented with addition fuel economy measures. |

These include aerodynamic optimisation, demand-controlled fuel pumps and the fuel-efficient gearshift programme for the standard 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission.

These measures have enabled Mercedes-Benz developers to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to seven per cent compared to the preceding models.

The car costs range between BD40,000 and BD52,000 depending on specifications. For further details contact 17785454 or visit the Al Haddad showroom.







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