Mercedes-Benz TV: Vision Accomplished. The new S-Class

CALLING a new vehicle “the best car in the world” has to be either misplaced arrogance or justified confidence.That is the risk Mercedes took by making the claim at the VIP launch of their flagship S-Class model in Hamburg.

Just as well, then, that the car appears to have all the qualities to back up the bold boast, including being the first one that can drive itself in heavy traffic!
The steering assist and stop-go pilot mean it can steer, brake and drive itself automatically at speeds of up to 30mph in traffic jams.
The driver can, of course, always regain control.
The car also has a brake system that detects pedestrians or vehicles in front in city traffic, and can self-brake to avoid a crash. The system can also recognise a potential rear collision and put on the rear hazard lights.
These factors justify another Merc claim — that the S-Class is “the safest car on the road”.
And how about this for a ground-breaking development?
It has the first car suspension with “eyes”. It uses camera scanners — dubbed Magic Body Control — to detect bumps on the road ahead.
When it sees one the vehicle then automatically adjusts the dampers and suspension on each wheel to a firmer or softer setting to give a magic carpet ride across potholed surfaces — perfect for UK roads.

The backrests recline to 45 degrees, the heated seats have an energising massage function and even the armrests can be heated or cooled. But it’s not all about relaxation.
You get working desks in the back, plus two DVD screens which can be linked to the web for connectivity, along with a mega-music system, all of which can be operated from an app on your phone.
There’s even a climate control with air balance and an active perfuming system with four different smells to waft around the cabin!