Enlarge / The Mercedes-Benz S-Class is now in its seventh generation. (credit: Jonathan Gitlin)
When it comes to building luxury cars, few do it better than Mercedes-Benz. The carmaker has come a long way since Carl Benz’s 1886 patent and has put out a string of sedans fit for kings, kingpins, more than few dictators, and the occasional rock star. The current S-Class is the seventh sedan to bear the nameplate, and each vehicle has been more advanced and luxurious than the model that it replaced.
The W223 (as Benzophiles will know this generation) may be the flashiest S-Class to date, with big displays and a rainbow of colors on tap from the interior lighting. Yet its MBUX infotainment system allows you to control just about every function of the car without ever touching a screen, proving that sometimes technology is the answer to driver distraction. And an aero-efficient shape means the W223 is quiet and efficient, with an effective mild-hybrid system.
Mercedes isn’t saying whether the W223 will be the last generation of S-Class to come with an internal combustion engine—for now, the all-electric EQS is a separate model—although it very well might be. We tested the $111,100 S500 4Matic: in this case, 500 refers to the capacity of each cylinder, which means you’ll find a turbocharged 3.0 L inline six-cylinder engine under the hood.
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