MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

AN S-CLASS SHOULD BE A STATEMENT OF EXCELLENCE AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE. IT DELIVERS ON ALL COUNTS.

- ANGUS MACKENZIE

Even though almost 30 models make up today’s Mercedes-Benz portfolio in the U.S., the launch of an all-new S-Class is still a defining moment for Germany’s most successful premium automaker. Mercedes SUVs, particularly the GLE and GLC families, have become the brand’s volume sellers, but an S-Class is still meant to be nothing less than a statement of engineering excellence and technical expertise that underpins the very credibility of the three-pointed star. The mission statement for the 2021 S-Class is thus crystal clear.

The 2021 S-Class, code-named W223, is built on a new platform known internally as MRA2. Effectively an evolution of the current car’s underpinnings, MRA2 has been reworked to package a new rear-steer axle and a larger battery for plug-in hybrid versions of the car. Compared with the outgoing long-wheelbase W222 S-Class, the distance between the front and rear axles has been increased by 2.0 inches to 126.6. Overall length has grown 1.3 inches to 208.2, width has gone up by 2.1 inches, and height has increased by 0.4 inch.

The exterior design is evolutionary rather than revolutionary, though in detail every panel is dramatically different from the outgoing car. Upfront is a bigger grille and smaller high-tech headlights; at the rear are two-section taillights that echo the vaguely triangular format seen on the A-Class sedan.

Pop-out door handles that nestle flush with the door skins complement a clean bodyside, anchored by a crisp shoulder line that runs almost the full length of the car. The raked C-pillar flows seamlessly into the trunk, which is slightly larger than that of the outgoing model.