Mercedes S 450d 4matic - almost perfect
The Mercedes S-Class belongs to the best cars in the world. The author can agree with this, but also finds something to criticize. However, aside from minor details, the S-Class is almost a perfect car when it comes to large limousines.
In the spring, Mercedes gave its flagship of classic limousine construction, the good old S-Class, a slight modernization. The 2020 top-class model really didn't need the overhaul, so the improvements were mostly digital in nature or served to optimize details or equipment. A long-wheelbase S 450 D 4matic with Manufaktur equipment and almost everything on the price list arrived for testing.
However, this is where a challenge arises. Because there is no longer a classic price list. You can configure what the Mercedes site offers. We have determined that our test car has a base price of around 124,000 euros and, with all the extras on board, probably just missed the 200,000 euro mark.
Light blue paint, almost white leather
Mercedes is rightly proud of the expanded Manufaktur options that the wealthy customer can book. For example, a "vintage blue" light blue paint tone that actually reminds one of Mercedes models from the 1960s. The matching leather inside is almost white, looks very elegant, and is supposed to withstand denim stains even in the long term. We couldn't confirm this in the short time we had the car.
Let's stay a moment longer in the interior. The integrated pillows in the headrests are now standard. Otherwise, the seat offers no reason to change anything. Whoever wants to, can sit here comfortably for a long time, both front and back. The most comfortable seat is probably the back right one, as one can use the chauffeur function to move the unoccupied front seat forward to achieve a quasi-reclining position.
Knobs and buttons gone
Up front, the interior is dominated by the familiar large, vertically placed display, thankfully flanked by various direct options for controlling the climate in the car. Unfortunately, there are no longer any knobs to control the volume of the excellent Burmester sound system. The Mercedes designers have also been saddled with slider-like buttons, which are certainly not an improvement.
Just like the often-criticized touch surfaces on the steering wheel, which have replaced the perfectly functioning buttons. As a result, we often accidentally adjusted the displays in front of the driver and, in response, failed to activate several functions that the S-Class now offers, such as automatic lane changing on the highway.
It's nice that Mercedes offers the option to "turn off" the central display in the middle using a switch. This makes nighttime drives much more pleasant and less distracting during the day. Speaking of night drives, they are very pleasant, as the technicians have truly worked magic with the lights. Not that we tested the theoretical possibility of the headlights playing movies, but the way they light up the road edges and seemingly shine over preceding vehicles without dazzling them is truly impressive.
Praise for the rear-axle steering
We were equally impressed by the rear-axle steering. The steering rear wheels not only reduce the turning circle, but they also make the almost 5.20 meters long limousine surprisingly agile in the city. Unfortunately, parking spaces do not grow with it. On country roads, the S-Class can be driven almost sportily with it, with the roll stabilization also helping. Even fast cornering passages are not critically commented on by otherwise sensitive passengers.
The powertrain is not challenged at the speeds possible here. The diesel-like combustion only becomes noticeable when hurriedly overtaking on a steep uphill section, otherwise it's quiet at revs that barely scrape the 2000 mark.
Moving dynamically yet calmly, the 3.0-liter six-cylinder contentedly achieves consumption figures around 6 liters of diesel, placing us actually at the lower end of the norm of 6.2 liters or even below. On faster highway stretches, the on-board computer sometimes displayed a 7 before the comma. Impressive figures for a 2.2-tonner with 270 kW/367 PS, or rather 390 PS, as the diesel is supported by a 16 kW/22 PS strong electric motor as a mild hybrid.
Useful and dispensable progress
The MBUX voice control was particularly helpful for phone calls, reliably connecting to the correct line with excellent voice quality. However, we weren't as pleased with the car's communication regarding other matters. That one can benefit a little from the knowledge of the internet via ChatGPT is no longer remarkable and belongs to the kind of progress we can do without in the car, especially since much nonsense comes out or the car doesn't understand us. Had we mentioned that there's an off switch for such things?
But aside from these digital niceties, the S-Class is almost a perfect car for us when it comes to large limousines. And that's also visually, as it doesn't come across as flashy as the main competitor from the south but still looks very modern. And, quite clearly, the diesel is great, but an outdated model only built for Europe and filling the corporate coffers so that the fully electric EQS can one day be as good as this car.
Mercedes S 450 d 4matic - technical data
- Four-door, five-seat luxury sedan
- Length: 5.18 meters, Width: 1.95 meters (with exterior mirrors: 2.11 meters), Height: 1.50 meters, Wheelbase: 3.11 meters, Trunk volume: 540 liters
- 3.0-liter diesel, 270 kW/367 PS + 16 kW/22 PS EQ Boost, maximum torque: 750 Nm, 9-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
- 0-100 km/h: 5 s, Vmax: 250 km/h
- Norm consumption (WLTP): 6.2 - 7.1 liters/100 kilometers, CO2 emissions: 163-186 g/km, Emission standard: Euro 6e, Test consumption: 6.2 liters
- Price: from 124,045 euros
In the testing process, we discovered that our customized S-Class, equipped with premium features, such as the vintage blue paint and almost white leather, exceeded the base price by a significant margin, approaching the 200,000 euro mark. Despite the digital advancements and luxury options, motor vehicles like the Mercedes S-Class continue to be popular among wealthy clients seeking comfort and sophistication in their limousines.
