W223 Mercedes-Benz S-Class debuts at last

Mercedes-Benz has rolled out the latest – W223 – generation of its S-Class luxury saloon. The car has brand-new body and interior, four-wheel steering and a slew of driver assists.

The interior was the single greatest highlight of the entire presentation. The new giant digital dashboard is now capable of displaying 3D images, while the portrait-oriented infotainment system can recognize gestures, voice, eye direction and pose of the driver. Opening the panoramic roof is done via a simple hand wave; looking back while reversing automatically lowers the rear window sunscreen, and so on.

The equipment list includes a heads-up display powered by Augmented Reality, a 4D audio system, frontal air bags and smart seats for the rear seat occupants, hydraulic/pneumatic suspension combo, and LED lights capable of projecting custom graphics onto the asphalt. The car can even park itself without anyone inside.

The new S-Class will initially ship with two gasoline and three diesel engine options rated between 286 and 453 metric horsepower (282 – 447 hp; 210 – 333 kW). An eight-cylinder and a PHEV spec will become available later.

Sales start in mid-September.