oes on sale later this year

oes on sale later this year

Designed to become one of the most luxurious and advanced vehicles ever constructed, the 2014 S-Class has an evolutionary design that incorporates a sportier front fascia, a larger grille and a gentle slanting rear end. The sleek styling enables the model to have drag coefficient of 0.24 which is pretty impressive considering the pint-sized CLA has a drag coefficient of 0.23.

Overall, the short wheelbase model measures 5116mm long, 1899mm wide and 1483mm tall with a wheelbase that spans 3035mm. The long-wheelbase variant has similar dimensions but is 5246mm long and has a 3165mm wheelbase.

Moving on to the cabin, drivers will find themselves surrounding by high quality materials and premium accents. Notable highlights include luxurious wood trim, metallic switchgear and stitched leather accents. There's also an analogue clock, a touch-sensitive telephone keypad and two high-resolution 12.3-inch displays - one for the instrument cluster and another for the infotainment system. The standard audio system has ten-speakers but the car can be equipped with a Burmester Surround Sound system or a Burmester High-End 3D-Surround Sound system.

Speaking of options, the S-Class has them in spades. First up, there's an Air Balance package which filters and ionizes the air and can even dispense a "discreet and mild" perfume that won't get embedded into the seats or fabrics. If that's not impressive enough, the Warmth Comfort package comes with heated armrests, a heated steering wheel and improved seat heaters.

The rear passenger compartment can be equipped with five different types of seats including Energizing seats that offer six different massage functions that use 14 air cushions.

On the topic of seats, the First Class Rear Seat package has individual rear seats that are separated by a rear center console which houses Maybach-inspired folding tray tables. The package also includes thermo-cup holders that can warm or cool drinks.

Even the suspension as gone high-tech as a Road Surface Scan system uses a camera to "watch" the road and look for irregularities. If one is found, it automatically prepares the Magic Body Control suspension to deal with the situation. The system is optional, but even entry-level models come equipped with an improved Airmatic suspension and an adaptive damping system.

On the safety front, the S-Class offers DISTRONIC PLUS with Steering Assist and Stop&Go Pilot, Brake Assist PLUS with Cross-Traffic Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus, Night View Assist Plus and ATTENTION ASSIST.

Under the hood, four different engines will be avaliable:

The S350 BlueTEC features a 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine that develops 258 HP (190 kW) and 620 Nm (457 lb-ft) of torque. It will enable the model to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

Moving up to the S500 will reward buyers with a 4.7-liter V8 petrol engine that cranks out 455 HP (335 kW) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque. This will allow the car to run from 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, before topping out at 250 km/h (155 mph).

Next up, the S300 BlueTEC Hybrid has a 2.1-liter four-cylinder engine that develops 204 HP (150 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) of torque.  This allows the car to run from 0-100 km/h in 7.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 238 km/h (148 mph).

Lastly, the S400 Hybrid will have a hybridized 3.5-liter V6 engine which produces 306 HP (225 kW) and 370 Nm (273 lb-ft) of torque. This will enable the luxury sedan to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and have a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

Autonomous Cars Will Probably Hit China First -- And That's Okay

By Richard Read

939 views

May 13, 2013

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Here's what we know about autonomous cars:

A. They're coming.

B. They'll wreak havoc among automakers, with upstarts like Google emerging as viable competitors.

C. They'll have an effect on related sectors, too -- like auto insurance. 

What we don't know about autonomous cars is when they'll arrive in showrooms, or when they'll become dominant on roadways. However, Detroit News suggests that Americans may not be the first folks on Planet Earth to slip behind those high-tech wheels. That honor has a good chance of going to China.

Even though much of the work being done on autonomous vehicles has been carried out in the U.S., experts on a panel recently hosted by the Automotive Press Association seemed to think that China was a better fit for self-driving vehicles. It's not just because of China's rapidly growing auto market (though that certainly plays a role). It's also because of legal obstacles facing autonomous vehicles in the U.S. -- namely:

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  There are plenty of U.S. state and federal laws and regulations that autonomous cars can't meet. Often, that's because such laws were drafted before anyone even dreamed that self-driving vehicles would become a reality. Autonomous car manufacturers will have to meet those standards or lobby for their amendment. (We're seeing similar problems arise with adjacent technology, like self-adjusting high-beams.)  
  

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  Americans are litigious. There's still a lot of gray area when it comes to autonomous cars. For example, when an autonomous vehicle is involved in a collision, who's at fault? The broader those gray areas are and the longer they persist, the more vulnerable automakers are to lawsuits and the more risk manufacturers take in bringing their products to the U.S. market. 
  

Someone wiser than us once said, "Better safe than sorry." 

We don't follow that rule to a tee ourselves, and we know it doesn't always make for good business. In fact, getting ahead in the world often involves taking risks.

However, America's slow-but-steady approach to cars has served us well. Even with extensive regulations, we've managed to remain one of the world's most important auto markets. And thanks to those same regulations, we now enjoy record-low fatality rates. (Even with upticks projected for 2012.)  

America is forever trying to walk a fine line between too much regulation and not enough of it. And despite some very vocal folks at the extreme edges of those arguments, we do a pretty good job of striking a balance. 

To see what can happen when that's not the case, look to Brazil, which has an auto fatality rate four times as high as we do in the U.S.:

That's not to say that China is completely unregulated. However, widespread car ownership is still fairly new in China, and as a result, current regulations don't generally measure up to standards in other countries where cars have been middle-class mainstays for generations.

And of course, there's China's legal system to consider, which hasn't always sided with consumers when it's come to flawed products. Nor has the Chinese public always had the means or will to file lawsuits against giant corporations. Though we complain about the abundance of such suits in America, they've helped regulate the market.

When it comes to autonomous vehicles, America is probably better off following another time-honored saying: "Slow and steady wins the race".

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