Mercedes did promise that it was going to have best-in-class engines, and here they finally are! They've got all their cylinders in a row, as seen on this twin-turbo 2.9-liter found under the hood of the S 400d.
We don't know how many customers bought the old S 350d, but it was probably a lot in Europe. Yet Mercedes never tried to chase the twin- and tri-turbo diesel fantasy... until now.
This new engine delivers a maximum of 340 HP at 3,600rpm and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) from as low as 1,200rpm. At launch, the new Audi A8 is only going to have a 286 HP single-turbo version of the 3.0 TDI, but you can get a 327 HP diesel in the A6 Competition. Meanwhile, the 740d delivers 320 HP and 680 Nm.
Benz's new mill displaces exactly 2,925cc with a bore of 82mm and 92.3mm stroke. Power is sent to the 4Matic AWD system via a 9-speed automatic transmission. The 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint takes 5.2 seconds, and top speed is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). Those numbers are matched by the 740d xDrive. In this independent test, the actual time is more like 5.4 seconds, because we're looking at a RWD S 400 d.
The updated S-Class is still available as a less powerful S 350d, but it's powered by a less powerful 2.9-liter straight-six instead of the V6 it's relieved on for so many years.
The facelift brought about a vast array of driver assistance system that adds up to level 2 autonomy. That means the car can operate many of the systems itself but still needs a driver to be on standby to take over. There's also been some tidying up around the cabin.
Mercedes-Benz reports it's sold more than 300,000 of this generation W222 S-Class since launch in 2013. This updated model will become available in the UK this October. Until now, diesel represented a massive 80% of all S-Class sales in Britain, but execs expect that to drop significantly in coming years.
This new engine delivers a maximum of 340 HP at 3,600rpm and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) from as low as 1,200rpm. At launch, the new Audi A8 is only going to have a 286 HP single-turbo version of the 3.0 TDI, but you can get a 327 HP diesel in the A6 Competition. Meanwhile, the 740d delivers 320 HP and 680 Nm.
Benz's new mill displaces exactly 2,925cc with a bore of 82mm and 92.3mm stroke. Power is sent to the 4Matic AWD system via a 9-speed automatic transmission. The 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint takes 5.2 seconds, and top speed is limited to 250 km/h (155 mph). Those numbers are matched by the 740d xDrive. In this independent test, the actual time is more like 5.4 seconds, because we're looking at a RWD S 400 d.
The updated S-Class is still available as a less powerful S 350d, but it's powered by a less powerful 2.9-liter straight-six instead of the V6 it's relieved on for so many years.
The facelift brought about a vast array of driver assistance system that adds up to level 2 autonomy. That means the car can operate many of the systems itself but still needs a driver to be on standby to take over. There's also been some tidying up around the cabin.
Mercedes-Benz reports it's sold more than 300,000 of this generation W222 S-Class since launch in 2013. This updated model will become available in the UK this October. Until now, diesel represented a massive 80% of all S-Class sales in Britain, but execs expect that to drop significantly in coming years.