Mercedes-Benz S-Class review

This is where it gets a little controversial. The water-cooled super-brain that powers the MB-OS Nvidia cores needs a theatre in which to perform. So there’s the MBUX Superscreen: 14.4-inch central display, driver’s display and 12.3-inch passenger display all glassed in behind a continuous surface. A dash full of screen. The passenger can game or watch telly while the driver gets ‘focussed information’ from the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster (optionally available in 3D) that appears to float behind the wheel. It’s all a bit much, to be honest.

The idea of luxury is better revealed in butlerish attention rather than a big wodge of IMAX. Yes it’s amusing for a while and there are a myriad of aspects to the functionality, especially with the excellent head-up display, but it’s stepping away from being a car into an entertainment centre – probably something to do with the L4 autonomy.

It also combines multiple AI genres (Google Gemini, Chat GPT-4o, Microsoft Bing) to enhance any of the functions, from sat-nav to voice control. It all works, but there’s a lot going on in the new S-Class, and it’s not always soothing.

Probably worth noting here that although the new steering wheel seems largely unmolested, the cruise control and speed limiter are once again controlled by a small rocker switch, while the volume is adjusted by traditional rollers. That’s in response to customer feedback. Which is appreciated.

Better to be in the back then?

Yup. Here you can take advantage of truly first-class appointments: you can fold the front passenger seat away to enjoy the crystal clear 13.1-inch displays, there are handheld remote controls and massaging seats, as well as the heated seatbelts and a gorgeous Burmester sound system. Integrated cameras mean you can take video calls, there are foldaway tables and a fridge, as well as multiple charging options for devices. Materials and quality seem to be up to standard. Say what you like, but the S-Class still knows how to treat VIPs, even if it's quite a traditional layout/feel.