Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Predecessors

Start

If you do not take into account pre-war models, then the modern predecessors of the S-Class originate from 1951, when the Mercedes-Benz W187 was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show ^[9] . The design of the car, although it was obsolete, but this was offset by the high quality of assembly and decoration, as well as the reliability of the car. The car was produced in three body styles: sedan, coupe and convertible. All models were equipped with the new M180 six-cylinder engine, whose power was 80 horsepower, and the torque was 142 N · m. From August 1952 to May 1953, the company assembled a special series of 41 vehicles for the needs of the police.

In total, until 1954, 18 514 versions of the W187 were built ( 16 154 in the sedan, 1278 + 997 in the convertible and 85 coupe) ^[9] .

Pontoon Generation

W187 cars, although they were successful, but with the booming technologies of the 1950s they could not withstand competition with imported US cars. Therefore, in 1954, a replacement appeared due to the new generation of pontoon body cars.

The first pontoon 220a (W180) appeared in March 1954, and until April 1956, 25 937 cars were built ^[9] . In 1956, after the launch of the coupe and convertible version W180 (220S), the sedan was converted to the 219th W105. Externally, the cars looked the same, except for chrome parts and the presence of a more powerful engine. A total of 27,845 219 W105 sedans were built. In October 1958, engines with a high-precision mechanical fuel injection system from Robert Bosch GmbH went into serial production. Cars W105 219 were replaced by W128 220SE ( German E inspritzmotor - injection engine) and until August 1959, 1974 such sedans were built.

Fins

The end of the 1950s dramatically changed the fashion of cars, and winged “fins” ( German Heckflosse ) appeared instead of pontoons. The models 220, 220S and 220SE (111th body) that appeared in 1959, in addition to the mentioned external parts, the first in the world had front and rear deformation zones, a three-point seat belt fastening and a four- speed automatic transmission . In view of the introduction of the new S-class in 1965, all 220th models are replaced by 230S, which was produced until 1968. In total, 337 803 W111 sedans were built, including 69 691 220s, 161 119 200S , 65 886 220SE and 41 107 230S .

In 1961, the W112 300SE model appeared, the car had the same body as the 111th, but was not intended to replace the 220th pontoon family, but the luxurious 300s series W186 and W189 limousines. Externally, cars featured a more chrome finish, and inside a more luxurious interior, air suspension and a more powerful engine. Since 1963, a version with a long base 300SEL appeared. In total, by 1965, 6,748 300SE vehicles were produced (including 1,546 elongated ones) ^[9] .

Fourth Generation

The fashion for wings went away as quickly as it came, but in many other respects, the W111 and W112 cars remained successful and many of their features are visible on models that replaced them in 1965: W108 and W109 ^[10] . New cars differed from each other in wheelbase (W109 was 10 cm longer), engines and interior (W109 was the heir to the more luxurious W112). The W108 lineup opened the 250S, 250SE and 300SE. In 1968 they were replaced by the more powerful 280S, 280SE and 280SEL, and in 1971 the last was replaced by the 280SE 3.5 model. The W109th row was initially limited to the 300SEL model, but in 1967, Mercedes decided to equip the S-class with V8 engines. So the 300SEL 3.5 (since 1969) and 300SEL 4.5 (since 1971) models appear. But the most powerful model is the Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3 , equipped with an engine from the W100 600 limousine .

At the time of the cessation of production in 1972, 383,361 cars were produced, including 18,662 W109 (including 6,526 300SEL 6.3 units) ^[9] .

S-Class

First Generation (W116, 1972-1980)

The W116 is the first official representative of the S-Class, which appeared in August 1972 ^[11] . The car was radically different from its predecessor, the exterior design was more masculine, but at the same time sporty in nature, which will continue on all models of the car until the mid-1990s.

Initially, the family included four models - six-cylinder 280S, 280SE and eight-cylinder 350SE and 450SE. A year later, models appeared with a long base V116 350SEL and 450SEL (280SEL since 1974) ^[1] . The model range was replenished in 1975 with the car Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9 , which, like the 300SEL 6.3 W109 series mentioned above, was equipped with a powerful M100 engine of the 600th limousine ^[1] . In 1978, a unique 300SD model with a turbo diesel appeared, which was produced only for export to the USA and Canada, at the same time in the 78th year on the top version 450SEL 6.9 of the 116th series, an anti-lock system was installed for the first time in the world ^[12] . Its cost at first was extremely high and reached 10% of the price of a very expensive car.

In mid-1980, the production of the first S-class was completed. A total of 473,035 vehicles were produced, including 78,256 V116 (including 7,380,450SEL 6.9) and 28,634 diesel versions ^[1] . Given that the 1973 Oil Crisis coincided with the start of car production, the success of this scale of production is particularly impressive, thanks to its high quality and worldwide export.

Second Generation (W126, 1979-1992)

In September 1979, a car was shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show , which turned the whole design of the automotive world upside down and instantly cast its predecessor W116 into the shadows. Externally, the W126 car, created by the designer Bruno Sacco , had an organic design that brilliantly combined a sporty character and retained a prestigious appearance. The cars were equipped with airbags, belt tensioners and many other innovations ^[13] , which subsequently switched to other cars.

Initially, the gamut of models included the 280S and 280SE with an in-line six-cylinder engine and the 380SE with a V8 . In 1980, they were supplemented by the 500SE, as well as the long-wheelbase models 280SEL, 380SEL and the flagship 500SEL. There was also a turbodiesel model for export to North America - 300SD. The popularity of the second generation of the S-class, including long-wheelbase versions, in all markets was so high that already in 1981 this led to the cessation of the production of the six hundredth W100 limousine . In 1985, the cars underwent a major upgrade, during which the latest carburetor model S-class 280S was withdrawn from the model line. The model range was opened by the Sixes 300SE and 300SEL, followed by cars with the V8 420SE / SEL, 500SE / SEL and the new flagship 560SE / 560SEL. And 300SDL also entered the American market (until 1987, the 350SD and 350SDL models appeared in 1990).

The W126 series was the most successful in the entire S-class line in terms of production time and the number of built copies, despite the fact that it was replaced by three subsequent generations ^{[13] [14]} . The series was produced until 1991 (500 and 560SEL until the 92nd) and in 12 years 818 105 sedans were produced ^{[9] [15]} .

Third Generation (W140, 1991-1998)

In March 1991, the W140 series, the largest in the history of the S-Class, made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show ^[1] . The car was distinguished by a sensational amount of the most advanced technical innovations: from double-glazed windows to the rear antennas. But the main advantage of the 140th series, in addition to an extensive line of traditional engines, including inline sixes (300SE / SEL models) and V8 (400SE / SEL and 500SE / 500SEL), was the first V12 engine in the history of the famous brand, installed on the new flagship 600SE and 600SEL models. Thus, the W140 S-class series became not only the direct heir to the W126 series, but also the legendary 600th W100 limousine (1963-1981).

In 1992, two new budget models appeared: the gasoline 300SE 2.8 and the turbodiesel 300SD, offered not only for the North American market. In the fall of 1993, the company adopted a new classification system, according to which instead of 300SD, 300SE 2.8, 300SE / SEL, 400SE / SEL, 500SE / SEL and 600SE / SEL, S350 Turbodiesel, S280, S320, S420, S500 / S500L and S600 / appeared S600L.

Restyling (1994)

In March 1994, the sedan was restyled. Externally, the car changes the orange glass direction indicators to transparent, and receives new lights from the rear. In addition, the vehicle’s ground clearance is reduced, and matte plastic bumpers begin to be painted in body color. Inside, the car receives updated electronics and a new interior. In 1996 The W140 series receives high-tech electronic systems such as Parktronic and a GPS navigator . In 1996, the coupe, which became a separate CL-class , was officially separated from the S- class , and the new diesel model S300 Turbodiesel also appeared.

In total, up to September 1998, 406,710 sedans were produced ^[15] (including 28,101 diesel engines), 218,119 long-wheelbase W140s, and 35,916 six hundredths. World (and especially European) sales of the W140 series could not repeat the success of the predecessor, partly due to the high price and too "defiant" dimensions, which was not welcomed in the politically correct countries of Western Europe , but it was thanks to the same reasons that this series of Mercedes-Benz cars left a very noticeable mark in recent Russian history of the 1990s .

Fourth Generation (W220, 1998-2005)

In the second half of the 1990s, Daimler-Benz , a member of the DaimlerChrysler multinational group, was forced to reconsider its overly conservative concept of a representative car (European classification F segment), which suggested that such a car should be the most impressive both in design and in design. to be the most comfortable, and therefore heavy and complex in design. Accordingly, high fuel consumption and expensive maintenance were not taken into account. The company reoriented itself to a more elegant style, which presupposed the preservation of a spacious interior, saturated with a variety of high-tech devices to increase comfort, but with more compact external dimensions and greater economy due to the simplification of the design of the car. Introduced in the summer of 1998, the S-class W220 ^[1] was 300 kg lighter and 120 mm shorter than its predecessor and featured a futuristic body design with rounded exterior details. At the same time, the internal volume of the cabin was even increased, and the saturation of a wide variety of electronics only increased.

If the previous diesel S-class models were initially limited to export to the US market (primarily to fulfill the Mercedes-Benz brand CAFE fuel standards), and therefore remained only budget models with a limited edition, realized mainly through fleet sales , then after the appearance of the revolutionary Common Rail technologies the new budget model S320 CDI has become very popular already in other markets and among private customers. The flagship model S400 CDI with a V8 turbodiesel also added to the diesel line. The gasoline range of the W220 series began with the V6 - S280 (for export to Asia), S320 (1998-2002) and S350 (2002-2005), continued with the V8 (S430 and S500) and ended with the flagship V12 on the S600 model. In 1999, after Mercedes-Benz bought the tuning company AMG , a “sports” model S55 AMG with a forced V8 engine appeared in the corporate lineup. There were also more rare versions with V12 - S63 AMG (2002) and S65 AMG (2004-2005).

Restyling (2002)

In 2000, Daimler AG began to develop the concept of facelift for a car. The upgraded version, which received a more aerodynamic front end and updated taillights, became available to buyers since September 2002. In general, with the exception of the installed radiator grill at a more vertical angle, a new transparent housing for headlights and lower air intakes on the front bumper, the general appearance of the car remained unchanged. In addition, the engine lineup was expanded and an all-wheel drive version of the 4MATIC with electronic traction control appeared, which distributed engine power as follows: 40% on the front axle and 60% on the rear axle. All cars of the series got a COMAND multimedia system as standard, and the S600 got an additional navigation system

The W220 series was quite successful: a total of 485,000 sedans were produced. Nevertheless, the model began to pursue chronic breakdowns of such units as air suspension, especially on cars of early production (until 2002), which spoiled the reputation of not only this S-class series, but also caused sensitive damage to the Mercedes-Benz brand as a whole, who began to noticeably cede his market position not only to his fellow competitor BMW , but also to Japanese premium brands Lexus and Infiniti .

Fifth Generation (W221, 2005-2013)

S-class in 221 body was first shown to the public in the fall of 2005 ^{[16] [17]} . In the exterior of the car (especially in the voluminous wheel arches), retro-styling motifs and the influence of the Maybach W240 limousine are clearly visible . The package of electronic systems included the most modern and diverse systems of safety and comfort ^[18] . The range included gasoline S300 (for export to Asia ), S350 with V6 , S450 and S500 with V8 (in the USA - S550) and S600 with V12, as well as diesel models S320 CDI and S420 CDI. Top models are two models AMG S63 and S65.

In 2008, due to sharply increased world fuel prices and public interest in green technologies, the hybrid model S400 Hybrid appeared for the first time in the history of the S-Class.

Restyling (2009)

In 2009, the W221 series was restyled, and also received an optional four - wheel drive transmission and a number of new electronic systems and environmentally friendly diesel versions of Bluetec with filters in the exhaust system. Since the end of 2010, the new diesel (CDI) and gasoline (CGI) models S250 CDI, S350 CDI and S350 CGI and S500 CGI have appeared in the W221 series ^[19] .

Sixth Generation W222 (2013- p.t)

The sixth generation of the flagship series of S-class executive cars, codenamed W222, has been in production since 2013. Design development, begun back in 2009, was engaged in Robert Lesnik. The exterior of the new model is borrowed from the CLA-class and the fourth generation of the E-class (W212) . The presentation of the car took place on May 15, 2013 in Hamburg , Germany ^[20] .

Available in sedan body options (with shorter and longer wheelbases), coupe and convertible (since 2015). In addition, it has high-performance modifications from the Mercedes-AMG division represented by the S63 AMG and S65 AMG (both available in sedan, coupe and convertible), as well as the most luxurious version of the limousine - Pullman , assembled by the Mercedes-Maybach sub -brand . In addition to the AMG factory unit, the car is popular with various tuning studios.

In 2017, restyling was carried out, which introduced changes in the appearance and set of electronic systems of the car, and the engine range was also updated ^[21] .

A year after launch in all major markets, Mercedes-Benz has already delivered over 100,000 S-Class models worldwide ^[22] .

Production

Most S-Class models, including the W221, are manufactured at Daimler AG 's Sindelfingen , Germany plants and Mercedes-Benz Mexico 's Santiago-Thangistenko de Galeana , Mexico . In addition, there are production facilities in the city of Pune ( India ) ^[23] , Atlanta ( USA ) ^[24] , previously East London ( Africa ) ^[25] .

In total, about 2.7 million S-class cars have been produced over the past forty years ^[26] .

• W116 : 473,035 ;
• W126 : 818,036 ;
• W140 : 406,532 ;
• W220 : 485,000 ;
• W221 : 85 900 (2006), ^[27] 85 500 (2007), ^[27] 90 600 (2008), ^[28] 53 400 (2009), 66 500 (2010) ^[29] , 68 969 (2011), 65 128 (2012)
• W222 : 103 737 (2014) ^[30] , 107 336 (2015) ^[30]

Sales

S-class car sales statistics by year and main sales markets are as follows:

The S-class car held the first place in the customer satisfaction index according to the version of the JD Power service from 1987 to 1990 ^[43] . The series also has the 7-fold title “ Best Luxury Car ” according to the What Car? ^[44] , the 5-fold title of “ Luxury Car of the Year ” according to Fleet News ^[44] , the title of “ Car of the Year ” from 1981 to 1999 according to the Australian magazine Wheels ^[45] , the title of “ Safest Car of the Year for Passengers ” for 1988–89 from the United States Insurance Institute for Highway Safety ^[13] , European Car of the Year Award for 1974, Best New Edition title from the American monthly science-fiction magazine Popular Science, and winning the magazine's Limousine of the Year category Top Gear for 2006.

According to the company, the representative of the S-class family was the first car in history to receive a certificate of environmental compliance with standards from the German organization TÜV ( German Technischer Überwachungsverein ) ^[44] .

Main

• Eberhard Kittler. Typenkompass Mercedes-Benz Band 2. Personenwagen seit 1976. - Motorbuch Verlag, 2002 .-- ISBN 3613022095 .
• Colin Pitt. Mercedes-Benz W126 W140 W220. - Unique Motor Books, 2002. - ISBN 1841555150 .
• Matthias Röcke. Das neue große Mercedes-S-Klasse-Buch. - Heel, 2003 .-- ISBN 3898801586 .
• Günter Engelen. Mercedes-Benz Personenwagen Band 4 Seit 1996. - Stuttgart , Germany : Motorbuch Verlag, 2003. - ISBN 3613023482 .
• Fred Larimer. Mercedes-Benz Buyer's Guide: Roadsters, Coupes, and Convertibles. - USA: MBI Publishing, 2004 .-- ISBN 0760318115 .
• Heribert Hofner; Halwart Schrader. Mercedes-Benz Automobile Band 2: von 1964 bis heute. - Heel, 2005 .-- ISBN 3898804194 .
• Martin Häußermann. Mercedes-Benz S-Class: The brochures since 1952. - Delius Klasing, 2006 .-- ISBN 3768817202 .
• Martin Häußermann. Mercedes-Benz - The Large Coupés: The brochures since 1951. - Germany : Delius Klasing, 2006 .-- ISBN 3768818330 .
• Harry Niemann. Personenwagen von Mercedes-Benz: Automobillegenden und Geschichten seit 1886. - Stuttgart , Germany : Motorbuch Verlag, 2006. - ISBN 3613025965 .
• RM Clarke. Mercedes AMG Ultimate Portfolio 2000-2006. - United Kingdom: Brooklands Books, 2007. - (Road Test Portfolio Series). - ISBN 9781855207486 .
• James Taylor Mercedes-Benz: Cars of the 1990s. - The Crowood Press, 2009. - S. 9–16, 173–190. - (Crowood AutoClassic Series). - ISBN 9781847970961 .
• Rainer W. Schlegelmilch; Lehbrink, Hartmut; von Osterroth, Jochen. Mercedes. - Ullmann Publishing, 2013 .-- ISBN 9783848002672 .
• James Taylor Mercedes-Benz S-Class 1972-2013. - The Crowood Press, 2014 .-- ISBN 9781847975959 .
• Christof Vieweg. Alles über die Mercedes-Benz-S-Klasse: eine Publikation der DaimlerChrysler-AG, Global Service. - Stuttgart, Germany: DaimlerChrysler-AG, Global Service, 2000. - ISBN 3932786149 .

Service Books, User Guide

• F. Shiryaev. Mercedes-Benz S-Class W-140 Series. Operation, repair and maintenance manual. - Atlas Press, 2004 .-- 312 p. - ISBN 5-9545-0016-9 .
• Karpov I.A. Mercedes S-Class (W140). Device. Service. Repairs. - ROKO, 2006 .-- 540 s. - ISBN 5-89744-081-6 .