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2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is smarter, safer and more luxurious than ever - Roadshow

by Wayne Brassell (2020-09-09)


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The S-Class is a big, handsome sedan.
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No car is more important to Mercedes-Benz than the S-Class. It's the flagship. The big boy. The car that'll set the bar for the company's next round of products.Making its debut Wednesday, the 2021 S-Class amplifies Mercedes' full-size luxury package. With its powerful engines, luxurious accommodations, great attention to detail and almost overwhelming amount of onboard tech, the S-Class is even better positioned to be a segment-leading sedan for many years to come. In other words, it's awesome. Let's have a look.


























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2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class: Our first look at new luxury






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'The digital S-Class'That's the phrase Mercedes-Benz design boss Gorden Wagener used to describe the new S-Class during a video presentation. The creative brief was to make a sedan that's clean and elegant, but manages to convey its tech-forward approach through great attention to detail.I think it works and you can see it in the headlights and taillights. Up front, there's a three-dot LED running light pattern, but when the headlights come on, they're amplified by a flat panel of LEDs under the main bulbs. Move around back and the S-Class' soft surfacing is broken up by triangular taillamps, an intentional, "almost brutal" piece of design, klick according to Eugen Enns, senior exterior design manager at Mercedes-Benz R&D North America. Inside, you'll see what appear to be simple lines of LED lights, but upon closer inspection, you find what Enns calls the "digital skyline" -- two rows of geometric structures that are lit from the bottom up. When you get the chance to see a new S-Class in person, definitely pay attention to those rear lights.Dimensionally speaking, the S-Class is a little larger than before. It's 208.2 inches long, 76.9 inches wide and 59.2 inches tall -- increases of 1.3, 2.1 and 0.4 inches, respectively. Interestingly, despite the 1.3-inch increase in length, the wheelbase is actually 2.0 inches longer than before, meaning the front and rear overhangs are shorter, which helps the overall aesthetic.Wheel sizes range from 19 inches on the base model to optional 21-inch rollers with the AMG Line package. The coolest thing, though? The electronic handles that fully extend from the doors when you unlock the car or simply walk up to it with the key in your pocket. Unlike other pop-out handles, these fully emerge from the doors and offer satisfying engagement. These aren't optional, either -- every S-Class will have them. And they go a long way to improve aerodynamics. The 2021 S-Class has a coefficient of drag of 0.22, which matches the Porsche Taycan, making it one of the most aerodynamic cars in the world.