2014 W222 Mercedes Benz S-Class launched in India

Snapshot: Mercedes Benz India has launched the flagship W222 2014 version of the S-Class luxury saloon in India. The German luxury car maker has sold out all 125 units of the top-end S500 variant allocated to India. The all-new car, packed to the gills with technology, is priced at 1.57 crore rupees, ex-showroom Delhi.

While the S500 variant is imported through the completely built unit (CBU) route, the big volume petrol and diesel variants will be assembled at Mercedes Benz Chakan factory through the completely knocked down (CKD) kit route. Mercedes Benz has exhausted the first lot of 125 S500 S-Class cars allotted to the Indian car market.

Fresh bookings for the lower petrol and turbo diesel engined variants, which will be priced much lower than the S500 variant, are being accepted by Mercedes Benz dealers across India. The CKD assembly of the lower variants will begin soon with deliveries to follow post-April 2014.

Coming to the car itself, the W222 2014 S-Class – like its predecessors – sits at the very top of Mercedes Benz’s car line up, not just in terms of the luxury on offer and the price charged, but also in terms of the cutting-edge technology that the S-Class line brings to the table.

By Mercedes Benz’s own admission, the W222 2014 S-Class has enough technology to function as an autonomous car but is only limited by governmental legislation that isn’t ready for such technology on roads. That should give a picture of how much technology has gone into Mercedes Benz’s latest flagship.

Getting down to specifics, Mercedes Benz has launched the long wheelbase edition of the S-Class in India and the upcoming variants would also follow this configuration keeping in mind the car’s primary use a chauffeur driven automobile.

Design wise, the car follows Mercedes Benz’s latest styling philosophy and comes with a coupe like sloping roofline at the rear. However, the prominent 3 pointed star on the bonnet and the long swoopy lines do give the car instant recognition as a top of the line Mercedes Benz.

The S500 variant is petrol powered, with a 4.7 liter V8 twin turbo petrol motor that outputs 459 Bhp of peak power and 700 Nm of peak torque. This engine is paired with a 7 speed automatic gearbox that drives the rear wheels of the luxury saloon. Performance figures read, a top speed electronically limited to 250 Kph and a 4.8 second 0-100 Kph run.

Luxury is writ large on the car and understandably so given the S-Class’ positioning. Airline-like ventilated rear seats with massage, electric adjust and an array of other comforting functions, and fold out tables make for the car’s rear seating. A Burmester audio system is standard with the S500’s infotainment package.

Other prominent features on the car include night vision assist, adaptive cruise control, full LED headlamps, panoramic sunroof, quad-zone climate control, air suspension, Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity and full LED lighting for both the interiors and exteriors.

The W222 2014 S-Class is the German luxury car maker’s replacement for Brand Maybach. In that light, S-Class variants equipped with an additional dollop of bespoke luxury and cutting edge technology will make it to Indian shores in the form of the Pullman versions.