New 2014 Mercedes S-class review, test drive

As a result, the biggest change is on the inside, which is good, because if there was one area that the earlier car was weak in, it was the cabin. Comfort levels were already brilliant on the outgoing car and so was build quality and materials used; brilliant, not a word used loosely here. But this car takes things to the next level. The insides are a fantastic blend of traditional leather and wood craftsmanship and the latest digital tech. Think of it as a sort of a perfect, no compromise harmony between something like a Bentley and an Audi. Also present is an elegant simplicity to the dashboard, which neatly wraps around into the doors, with plenty of chromed vents and massive screens on the instrument panel that can be configured to display just about anything.

The thrones in the front are simply massive and legroom at the rear is surplus as well. There’s actually 14mm more shoulder room than its predecessor up front, and the rear has 14mm of extra space for your knees as well. The rear-seat configurations include a ‘First Class’ set-up where the seat can be seriously reclined and you also get a pillow-like padded headrest, ‘lazy boy’-like pop out support for your thighs and airliner-like full-sized fold-out tables. There’s a hot stone massage function, an active perfuming system and a Burmester audiophile grade audio. New safety features include a rear belt bag, which incorporates an airbag within the seat belt strap, night vision and radar cruise control with an automatic braking function as options. Connectivity has also been upped with a WLAN Hot Spot unit that now forms part of the multimedia system.