Is Mercedes-Benz Still The King Of The Hill?

The formidable 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class makes its biggest technological leap in recent history. Is it still the king of the hill?

- Parth Charan

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has always served as a repository of the best automotive technology of its time. I can't decide what's a more difficult proposition for Mercedes-Benz everytime they’re tasked with birthing an all-new S-Class: how to make the best car in the world? Or how to make it better than the last one? Times aren’t what they used to be. Internationally, its arrival is accompanied by that of potential usurper and compatriot – the EQS. So for it to truly hold its own, it must unholster all its technological firepower while retaining its old-world essence that comes, in large part, from burning copious amounts of the amber nectar we call petrol (and diesel).

Never in recent history have they got the S-Class’s design so right as they have with the new W223. It’s got the fuss-free, smooth design language that adorns all modern Mercs, but out of that visual minimalism emerges a sedan that’s regal and proportionate in the classic sense, despite being slightly longer than the previous one. While the locally-assembled version is still a few months away, for now we’re treated to the hierarchy-topping, AMG-line import that makes for a very handsome sedan, any way you look at it. The absence of creases on the exterior lend it the sort of aggression that it needs to slice its way past a mind-bogglingly advanced crew of rivals.