Interior Styling

The W221 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is a large luxury sedan built by Mercedes-Benz, and produced since late 2005. The successor to the W220 S-Class, the W221 is slightly larger than the W220 in all dimensions. more...

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The W221, Mercedes' flagship vehicle, also features new interior and exterior styling and a number of technologies and features to improve safety, handling, and comfort.

Styling

The W221 S-Class' exterior styling is a marked change from that of the previous model. While the previous model featured rounded shapes and lines, with a smaller appearance, the W221's shape possesses more sharp edges and creases, with larger flared wheelarches and radiator grille. The rear end has been one of the most controversial aspects of the W221: some claim that the rear end is a facsimile of the E65 BMW 7-Series and is unattractive, while others claim that the rear end is bold, aggressive, and in fact derived almost directly from the Mercedes Maybach - the W221's big brother. The large, sharply defined wheelarches are also controversial, with some believing that such features do not belong on a car of this type, while others maintain that the wheelarches add to the vehicle's more-aggressive theme.

Inside, the W221's interior is also significantly different from the preceding model. The interior features an instrument cluster shroud that also contains the navigation screen, with silver air vents below, and a square, analog clock within the vents. Below the vents are metal tab switches with a black field behind them, to control the HVAC system. On the center console, a silver control wheel for the COMAND system sits above a piece of wood, surrounded by metal buttons. Throughout the interior, buttons are metal, with black fields above them denoting the switches' function. The interior is also a source of controversy, with many stating that the interior contains too many BMW 7-Series styling cues (mainly because of the new COMAND controller), while others point out that the interior is clearly an update of previous Mercedes interior styling.

Features

Safety

The W221 S-Class contains a large number of features designed to improve safety for the driver and passengers. Many of the features are evolutions of previous Mercedes developments, such as Brake Assist and Pre-Safe. A short list is presented below.

Brake Assist Plus - an optional system designed to apportion brake pressure based on pedal speed and distance between the car and objects. This is an evolution of the Brake Assist system found on earlier models, and uses the vehicle's radar, in addition to the usual Brake Assist's monitoring of pedal depression speed, to apply power brake boost as required. This requires the optional adaptive cruise control's radar, so in vehicles not equipped with the latter, standard Brake Assist is substituted.; Pre-Safe - a development of the previous Pre-Safe system fitted to the W220 S-Class, which uses vehicle-dynamic sensors to predict collisions, the W221's system also takes into account closing speed, as measured by the vehicle's radar. If a collision appears likely, Pre-Safe closes all windows and the sunroof, moves all passenger's seats and their head restraints to a safer position, and tightens the seatbelts.; Electronic Stability Program (ESP) - similar to the systems fitted to other Mercedes vehicles, this system measures driver inputs and compares these to the vehicle's path. If these diverge, ESP brakes single wheels selectively to eliminate oversteer (fishtailing) and understeer (plowing), and reduces engine power, if necessary.; Night View Assist - optional, uses two near-infrared (NIR) illuminators mounted in the headlamp clusters and a sensor in the windshield. The infrared beams are picked up by the sensor and an image is displayed in the instrument cluster. Mercedes-Benz claims that this system provides the same viewable distance as high-beam headlights, without blinding oncoming motorists.;

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