New M-B S-Class a ‘driver’s car’

Mercedes-Benz hails its all-new 2007 S-Class as a technological tour-de-force, but my money says that misses the point.

As befits its status as M-B’s flagship sedan, the ‘07 S-Class drips tech. However, great cars are all about emotion, and this is the most emotional S yet.

Its sinuous muscularity hints at the S’s newfound athletic prowess and, depending on exterior conditions, its sumptuous interior is either open and airy or cozy and atmospheric.

The front seats offer 14-way power adjustment and an “active lumbar” feature continuously and subtly realigns the occupant’s spinal column, relaxing the spine and reducing fatigue.

No occupant will feel neglected, though, as every seat in the house is brilliantly sculpted for comfort and support. Furthermore, the automatic climate control system reads sensors embedded in the seatbelt buckles to determine which seats are occupied and deliver optimal air volume to each location. A sun sensor measures the sun’s “angle of incidence” and adjusts airflow to account for its effects on each seat.

Order the optional DVC-based entertainment system and each of the front-seat headrests comes equipped with a rear-facing monitor.

A 14-speaker, 13-channel, 600-watt harmon/kardon LOGIC7 surround-sound auto system is standard, playing back DVDs or CDs in either 5.1 surround sound or conventional stereo.

As always, the proof is in the driving and it’s here that the S-Class impresses most. M-B makes no secret of the fact that it has BMW’s 7-series in its crosshairs and ups the ante with the best ride-and-handling package in S-Class history.

To be fair, it’s not possible to go much further here without a nod to the technology Mercedes touts; there’s no getting around it – in this day and age, microprocessors make the car.

Technology accounts for the fact that the new 5.5-liter V-8 at the heart of the lineup makes 26 percent more power than last year’s equivalent, without impacting fuel economy. It now produces 381 horsepower and 391 foot-pounds of torque, with maximum torque available from 2,800-4,800 rpm.

The base S450 makes 335 hp and 339 foot-pounds of torque, while the S600 sports a 5.5-liter bi-turbo V-12 that turns out 510 hp and 612 foot-pounds.

A new, seven-speed automatic transmission can drop three gears at a whack for maximum acceleration and is controlled by a 7-series-like “Direct Select” gear selector; mounted on the steering column to free up space on the console between the seats, it offers only Drive, Reverse and Park functions.

Sport and Comfort modes change the shift points and speed of shifts. In Sport mode, the S drops a half-inch to reduce body lean during cornering.

If you want to row your own, a pair of buttons for that purpose is located on the back of the steering wheel.

M-B’s much-maligned COMAND system continues its simplification process, speeding the time and reducing the brainpower required to move through its many functions, although some are still buried too many layers deep.

Much of M-B’s emphasis on technology rightly lies in the arena of occupant safety. A new version of the company’s PRE-SAFE strategy utilizes the radar-based Distronic Plus cruise control system to anticipate a potential impact and prepare the cabin accordingly. The front seatbelts cinch tighter and the front passenger seats (as well as the optional power rear seats) move into the safest possible positions.

If sensors detect a potential spin or rollover, the windows and optional sunroof close automatically to increase support to the curtain airbags and the air chambers in the multi-contour seats inflate to provide additional torso protection.

The Distronic Plus system sounds a warning if the car is closing in too quickly on cars ahead and if necessary applies the Brake Assist system to help prevent a collision.

Space considerations prevent a full discussion of the safety features enabled by computer technology; however, it should be noted that, as a radar-based system, Distronic Plus can be disabled should inclement conditions block the grille-based sensors. As brilliantly as the system works in good weather, it can’t be considered infallible if muck and grime clog the works.

At the press introduction in Phoenix, Mercedes brass halfway apologized for the duration of the ride-and-drive portion of the program, which took journalists deep into the desert and included freeway cruising and two-lane tossing. At the end of the day, the consensus was clear – the new S-Class is not just a technological tour-de-force, but a driver’s car of the first order, as well, which will push BMW engineers to take their 7-series cars to a higher level yet.

As always, the consumer is the winner.