The King Is Dead Long Live The King

For decades, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has maintained its status as the gold-standard amongst luxury sedans. But, with rising competition from Audi and BMW, the S-Class was due for a nip-and-tuck job. But has it done enough to keep its crown?

- Ishan Raghava

There’s domination, and then there’s absolute, utter domination. Take the X-Men villain, Juggernaut, for instance. Even when faced with the fiercest opponent, he simply steamrolls them into oblivion. So, when we talk about luxury sedans at the absolute top of the automotive market, there’s only one nameplate that stands out for its continued success over decades. Starting with the Mercedes 220, over six decades ago, the S-Class has virtually steamrolled its competition – and continues to do so today. In fact, in 2016, it was – once again – the largest selling product in its category.

So, with the W222 generation of the S-Class being just four years old, why did Mercedes feel the need to enhance it and launch a refreshed version? Well, there was the launch of the new BMW 7 Series last year, as well as the brand-new generation of the Audi A8 that’ll be launched shortly. And with semi-autonomous driving features becoming a big draw – at least in the West – Mercedes couldn’t just sit back and watch its rivals take the lead. And, with the face-lifted version of the S-Class, Mercedes has brought in a host of new technology into the car.

Never tire behind the wheel