As the whole motoring world's getting more advanced through the years, it seems that drivers nowadays are so getting wasted on the tech rather than driving any way they can. When Mercedes-Benz gave us the brand new S-Class, the whole motoring world was shocked to see that this latest full model change is now capable of taking care of itself rather than taking care of by its driver. Grown-up, huh?
Priced near the hundred thousand euro mark, this ultra-expensive, technologically advanced S-Class pushed the envelope by delivering the most advanced tech offered on a car like this and whether you like it or not, this is the future we all live in now.
First and foremost, let's observe the design situation with the new S-Class and of course, being the supreme leader of the Mercedes-Benz sedan lineup, it's bound to be the pretty one but it looks so well-balanced from top to bottom and it really shows its serious side of its first impression, something that today's BMW 7-Series failed to do so because of the grille issues if you know what I mean.
The interior is the biggest issue of this new model because it now boasts the biggest touch screen fitted on a Mercedes-Benz, taking cues from Tesla of course. With almost no buttons on sight, looks like speedo boys behind the wheel are running scared when they see one because why? They're scared of massive touch screens on the dashboard.
To add more digital salt to the speedo boys' wounds, the new S-Class is fitted with the MBUX user interface including the Alexa-ish "Hey Mercedes" voice function that allows almost anyone to speak with this car much to the annoyance of anyone in the sweet spot. Yes, you can expect lots of annoying conversations about just how wonderful this Alexa-ish tech is, and believe me, your ears come bleeding of this endless blabber.
While the tech is the issue on this new interior, it's still basically nice to live with and if you go for the long-wheelbase variant, this is "out on a limo" in a whole new approach. You'll have plenty of reasons to tell just how fancy you were while sitting at the back of the new S-Class. The premium sound system, the rear-seat entertainment, the controls, the concessions of relaxation, it's everything that makes the ultra-expensive S-Class the supreme leader of the German flagship sedans.
At the start, the new S-Class is powered by a wide range of six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines as well as a more powerful 457PS V8 engine with mild-hybrid tech on the S500 variant, all are mated to a 9G-TRONIC gearbox. That's just the start because there will be more to come such as a V12-powered Maybach and a beefed-up AMG version, not to mention the PHEV variants with an all-electric range of 100km.
Apart from the engines, the new S-Class is built to be the most comfortable luxury car that can be used on the road, be it in rear-wheel drive or 4MATIC, but sometimes, it can toy with numerous driving modes and suspension settings with the sportiest setting giving the new S-Class the most dramatic dynamics fit for a premium sedan.
Being the most technologically advanced car in the market, the new S-Class features the most advanced driving tech offered ranging from its ESP dynamic cornering assistance, Steering Assist, DRIVE PILOT, and others. Because it's so advanced, it's capable of performing Level 3 autonomy, which is either good or bad, depending on your STEM study.
The new S-Class, thanks to its tech overload, managed to turn science fiction into science fact and because of its Level 3 autonomy potential, it looks like this premium sedan's ready to take care of itself rather than taking care of its driver, which is rather sad, but because this is a different kind of S-Class the world's facing, looks like someone's one-upped the premium sedan game and it comes from another side of the pond.
This is the all-new Rolls-Royce Ghost. It costs almost three times the price of the new S-Class, this fancied-up BMW 7-Series shooks away its ghastly image from its base in favor of its fancier looks, something more of a baby Phantom by the looks of it.
Yes, the styling may be reminiscent of today's Phantom but the new Ghost is the ultimate expression of luxury because of its very sophisticated suspension system called the Planar, the smooth and juicy 6.75L V12 Twin Turbo engine producing 563hp of power and 850Nm of torque, all-wheel drive as standard, and its handcrafted bodywork that is aged to perfection, just like wines that lasted for over five decades to make it sophisticatedly tasty to the last sip.
Although it was not meant to be taken for granted, the new Ghost is a smooth point-to-point ride a la grand tourer that brings fancy living to a whole new approach for the big shots. Sure, it's got the same high-tech nonsense as most luxury cars adorned, but the tech issue is just a dent to the Ghost's artisanship. It's the motoring equivalent of the legendary Monet painting and whether you take it to the streets of London, Paris, or Tokyo, rest assured that the new Ghost is the culture in motion the Rolls-Royce way.
Which one will you go for? The new S-Class prided itself for its massive gadgetry that could scare speedo boys away but when it comes to fancy living, the new Ghost outshines the S-Class by a long shot. We could learn a lot from them but the rest is up to you.
Photo: Daimler AG/Rolls-Royce