Secret luxury cars of 2006 - Mercedes S-Class

On sale March
Price? From £56,720

The new S-Class will be arguably the most advanced production car in the world when it hits the showrooms this spring.

Mercedes claims the car will incorporate 12 technical innovations, from infrared night vision assistance to a pre-crash safety system that prepares you and the car in the event of an impending accident.

It’s more spacious than the current S-Class and is also taller, wider and has a larger boot. The interior, as you would expect, is decked out in leather and wood and you won’t find a plastic switch anywhere – they are all made of metal.

Following the likes of Audi and BMW, the satellite-navigation, stereo, phone and climate control systems are all worked from a central switch, which Mercedes calls its Command controller.

There will be three petrol engines available – a 272bhp V6, a 388bhp V8 unit and the range-topping 517bhp V12 which can launch the car to 62mph in 4.6sec. The line-up will be complemented by a new 235bhp diesel engine. Power will be transferred through a seven-speed automatic gearbox with a steering column selector.

A diesel-electric hybrid is also being mooted, which would be capable of around 37mpg. Performance would not suffer, either: the company talks of a 7.2sec 0-62mph time and a 155mph top speed.

And what is it like to drive? In a word, superb. The car's air suspension features adaptive dampers deliver a truly cosseting ride, a tightly controlled body, agility and stability.

To watch our Reader Test Team preview of the Mercedes S-Class, click on the relevant link below.

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See the February 2006 issue of What Car? magazine for a free 100 Secret Cars of 2006 and Beyond supplement.