Ambient lighting in Mercedes has long been a step ahead of other applications, and the S-Class takes it one step further. It now features what Mercedes is calling “active ambient lighting.” It’s “active,” because it coordinates with the driver assistance systems to reinforce warnings and alerts. For example, if you put your turn signal on with somebody in your blind spot, the lights will quickly pulsate red in a warning to stop what you’re doing. The lights will also change color as you adjust the climate control, pulsing blue for cooler temperatures and red for warmer adjustments. Mercedes says the lights themselves are much improved from the previous ones, featuring more and brighter lights than before. Of course, you can always dim the lights to black if you don’t want to be bothered at night.
Moving to the outside, we see that Mercedes has made the optional “Multibeam LED” lights standard for the S-Class in this generation. However, the rest of the world (not the U.S.) has an even more impressive lighting option called “Digital Light" (pictured). Within the Digital Light modules are three extremely powerful LEDs whose light is refracted and then directed by 1.3 million micro-mirrors. These micro-mirrors only occupy the same space as a human thumbnail, so yes, micro is the correct descriptor here. The mirrors are also capable of dividing the light into as many pixels as there are mirrors, making 2.6 million pixels of light for each vehicle. With that extreme number of pixels, Mercedes is able to project the most precise distribution of light yet. The tech is similar to that of a video projector, and it uses a graphic processor to generate the continuous video stream to the mirrors.
It’s so good that the lights can project guidelines or warning symbols onto the road. For example, if the car recognizes that road work is going on ahead, it’ll project a road work sign onto the road for you to see. Traffic light symbols, stop sign symbols and more can also be projected onto the road as warning for the driver. It’ll aim a spotlight at pedestrians near the road as you’re approaching, warning both you and the pedestrian. The navigation system’s topography reading will also allow it to adjust light over hills, so that when you’re cresting a hill, the lights pivot downward to the road as opposed to lighting up the sky above you.
This tech is ridiculously awesome, and we’re continually saddened that U.S. regulations forbid lights like these from U.S. roadways. The safety benefits of these latest lights are so obvious, but you’ll need to travel elsewhere in the world to experience them.
Mercedes-Benz S-Class Specifications:
▪ Length/width/height/wheelbase – 5,179/1,954/1,503/3,106 mm
▪ Length/width/height/wheelbase LWB – 5,289/1,954/1,503/3,216 mm
▪ Cargo volume – 550 litre
S 450 4MATIC
▪ Engine – 3.0-litre (2,999 cc), 6-cylinder in-line, turbo petrol
▪ Max output – 367 hp (270 kW) at 5,500-6,100 rpm
▪ Max torque – 500 Nm at 1,600-4,500 rpm
▪ Electric boost – 22 hp (16 kW)/250 Nm
▪ Transmission – 9-speed automatic, AWD
▪ 0-100 km/h – 5.1 seconds
▪ Top speed – 250 km/h
▪ Fuel consumption – 7.8-9.5 l/100km combined
S 500 4MATIC
▪ Engine – 3.0-litre (2,999 cc), 6-cylinder in-line, turbo petrol
▪ Max output – 435 hp (320 kW) at 5,900-6,100 rpm
▪ Max torque – 520 Nm at 1,800-5,500 rpm
▪ Electric boost – 22 hp (16 kW)/250 Nm
▪ Transmission – 9-speed automatic, AWD
▪ 0-100 km/h – 4.9 seconds
▪ Top speed – 250 km/h
▪ Fuel consumption – 8.0-9.5 l/100km combined
S 350d/S 350 4MATIC
▪ Engine – 2.9-litre (2,925 cc), 6-cylinder in-line, turbo diesel
▪ Max output – 286 hp (210 kW) at 3,400-4,600 rpm
▪ Max torque – 600 Nm at 1,200-3,200 rpm
▪ Transmission – 9-speed automatic, RWD/AWD
▪ 0-100 km/h (4MATIC) – 6.4 (6.2) seconds
▪ Top speed – 250 km/h
▪ Fuel consumption (4MATIC) – 6.4-7.7 (6.6-8.0) l/100km combined
S 400d 4MATIC
▪ Engine – 2.9-litre (2,925 cc), 6-cylinder in-line, turbo diesel
▪ Max output – 330 hp (243 kW) at 3,600-4,200 rpm
▪ Max torque – 700 Nm at 1,200-3,200 rpm
▪ Transmission – 9-speed automatic, AWD
▪ 0-100 km/h – 5.4 seconds
▪ Top speed – 250 km/h
▪ Fuel consumption – 6.7-8.0 l/100km combined
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