Mercedes-Benz S-class S 350 CDI L review, road test

The all-important diesel variant of Mercedes’ incredible flagship.

Published on Oct 11, 2014 01:30:00 PM

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Mercedes-Benz S-class S 350 CDI L.

Chrome grille now bigger than ever; spells out the S’s luxury credentials.

From the outside, not much. Mercedes’ massive chrome grille is still here, which really sets the tone for what an S-class should be. However, the wheels are rather tame- looking 18-inch alloys instead of the chunky 10-spoke, 19-inchers of the Launch Edition (although a different design of 19-inch wheel is standard on the S 500). The bodywork is exactly the same as before, apart from a slightly different rear bumper that does away with the rectangular exhaust tips of the petrol car. There’s a wider choice of colours now – apart from the black and white colours of the Launch Edition, you can also have your S-class in one of two shades of silver.

The S-class’ design is curvaceous, with a more stately look than the previous model.

Under the part-aluminium body, the S 350 CDI uses Mercedes’ Airmatic air suspension with adaptive dampers. Sadly, the cutting-edge Magic Body Control (MBC), which has redefined suspension technology, is off bounds for Indian customers. This unique radar-based system uses certain frequencies prohibited by Indian law.