2018 Mercedes-Benz S 350d

We Say: Number Of Minor Updates All Around And A Superb New Motor Makes The New S A Lot Better.

- Debabrata Sarkar

It’s been just over six months since I had made a trip to Switzerland to be handed the keys to the new S-class and be introduced to the many new technologies the sedan/limo/luxury barge has been showered with. You know, “best car in the world” and all that. It was a cold, gloomy day but the S was being every bit the perfect chariot the presentation slides had told us it would be. Fast forward to March 2018 and I have a chance to have a go at it again. This time, with the steering wheel on the correct side of the car and the 3.0-litre diesel motor turned down to the 350d spec standard for India (no 400d here). It wasn’t particularly chilly outside the car, you know, being Hyderabad, with summer setting in across the country, but that did not stop the S-class from delivering Zurich-like weather on the inside. Well, almost.

It is easy to tell this new S-class apart, despite no major changes to the silhouette of the car. The even larger grille, gets a massive panel, which houses the camera and radar, while the headlamps have been completely redesigned. Just when we thought the E-class was looking a bit too much like the S-class, the designers added an additional brow in the headlamp configuration to clearly set it apart. Moreover, the design on the bumper has changed as well to complete the fresh new front-end. Walk around to the rear of the car and the changes are less apparent. Yes, the taillamp design is new, but not much else has been touched.