The new Mercedes Benz S Class is available in a ‘Launch Edition’ as well
Mercedes Benz launched the 2021 Mercedes Benz S Class in India with ex-showroom prices starting from INR 2.17 crores. The vehicle is available with both petrol and diesel powertrains ( S 450 4Matic S 400d 4 Matic). The new S Class comes is as CBU units initially and there is a highly desirable Launch Edition to it as well. The Launch Edition is based on the AMG Line trim, and over 150 units of this have been sold before launch. Mercedes Benz India will start the local assembly of the car later this year, which is hoped to bring the prices slightly down.
The 2021 S Class (W223) had originally been unveiled globally last year. This car gets clear design inspirations from the all-new E Class on many of its parts. There are ‘Digital Light’ LED headlamps, a new chromed grille with three horizontal blades, redesigned front bumper, pop-out door handles, wraparound LED tail lamps, and the like. The Launch Edition with its AMG line trim, gets a more aggressive exterior design and different alloy wheels. The all-new Mercedes S Class is available in 5 different colours- Designo Diamond White, Onyx Black, Anthracite Blue, Rubellite Red and Emerald Green.
The cabin of the new S Class can be had in two plush shades- Macchiato Beige or Sienna Brown, depending on the exterior colors. The interior gets many exciting features like 12.8 inch portrait, OLED touchscreen infotainment system with the latest generation of MBUX, 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster, premium Burmester 4D surround sound system, 64 color ambient lighting, OTA updates support, second row bench seat, massaging function for the front seats, rear seat entertainment system etc.
Comfort and luxury at the rear are phenomenal, as expected from the S nameplate. The outer rear seats can be adjusted electrically and the Chauffeur package lets the rear occupant control the co-driver seats electrically. The car also offers front airbags for the rear seat passengers.
Engine, Transmission And Other Mechanicals
There are two engines on offer on the new S Class for India. The S 400d gets an in-line 6, 3.0L diesel engine (OM656) letting out 330hp and 700 Nm while the S 450 draws its power from an in-line 6 petrol engine letting out 367 hp and 500 Nm. The transmission on offer is a 9-speed automatic unit and the car gets All-Wheel Drive and Rear Wheel Steering (with up to 4.5-degree movement) for 2021. Suspension duties are carried out by four-link front and multi-link rear units and there is the carmaker’s E-Active Body Control to further boost the ride quality. Other driver aids on the all-new Mercedes S Class include auto emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, active steering assist, lane keep assist, etc.
Price And Rivals
| Variant | Ex-showroom Price (Crores) |
| S 400d 4MATIC | 2.17 |
| S 450 4MATIC | 2.19 |
The S Class, now in its seventh generation, will face competition from two familiar rivals in India- Audi A8 and BMW 7 Series. The all new Audi A8 is priced at INR 1.58 crores in India while the 7 series is priced in the 1.38-1.69 crores bracket here. The new S Class clearly has a price premium over the rivals, which by the way, are slightly aged when compared to the Mercedes Limo.
The S Class follows the launch of Mercedes Maybach GLS in India, whereby the first batch was sold out before its actual market launch. Overwhelmed by this response, Mercedes Benz India has an aggressive product plan for the future. MB India will launch the S Class Maybach and its electric flagship EQS in the coming years here.
