phonetics

Right now, there are the 350 and 500. Is the S550 replacing S600?

Is S550 an AMG model?

I read from website yesterday that there will be S65 for this model, do u guys think there will be S55 or S63 then?

SL BRABUS

S550.........it 5.5 liter V8......

vraa

S550 replaces the S500

phonetics

But the website said first launch is 350 and 500, then next year the 600 and 320. They did not say anything about 550. When will it be launched to replace 500? Will there be 500 anymore then?

SL BRABUS

no more 500.......it replace to S550......read the picture on the left top.. ...http://www.mbusa.com/models/future/sclass/index.do

phonetics

but how come they are still selling s500 in my country instead of s550?

JamE55

Just saw the S550 this afternoon at HOI. Car looks weird. The interior reminds me of the BMW 7 series' iDrive. What's this world coming to?

ruykava

apparently S550 is only for the USA market - the rest of the world sticks with S500 =)

MB AMG

Ahh, interesting. That solves my question. Same engine though right?

Germancar1

Yep. I guess MBUSA figured we needed an upgrade in badge to go with the price. Curiously though the price looks like it going to be less than the W220 S500? The options list won't be though.

M

SoCalBenzLover

There's a little bit of misinformation in the posts to your message, and not sure what country you live in and whether the info I know applies. But, to answer your questions, at least to how it applies here in the U.S.:

-The reason why you can only see the S350 or S500 on the website is because that's what's offered in the '06 model year. They won't post the info about the '07 until it's available for people to buy them. You have to get your info from various media sources, and not the official Benz web site.

-The '07 model year introduces the new S-Class w/ a completely redesigned body style, both exterior, interior and engine

-The S550 will replace the S500, and that's what launches first. They estimate that U.S. dealers will start getting the new body style next month

-The all-new engine is a 5.5 liter V8 and will have more than 80 hp over the current body style

-They announced the pricing and the S550 will start at MSRP $84,500, which is indeed, less than the current body still. Pricing for options ahsn't been announced, or at least anywhere that I can find it.

There will be an S450 version, but there's no plans to offer that in the States. So we start with the S550 and go from there. Not sure what happens to the S600. But the S55 is replaced by the S63, and there will be an S65 offered, too. Hope that helps!

Germancar1

The S450 (335hp) and S600 (510hp) both go on sale here in the U.S in April. The S450 of course will replace the S430. Mercedes isn't about to start the S-Class 85K and surrender the 70-80K market to everyone else. Look for details about the S450 this week at the L.A. autoshow.

M

phonetics

That's even more confusing for me. By saying that, does that mean S550 will also be sold as a 07 model for other countries. Right now, we only have S350 and 500 as 06 model in my country. Why would they have a completely redesigned model just after 1 year it is launched? If that's true, there's no way we should buy the 06 model, is that right?

ewde1

NO!!! There will be NO S550 outside of the U.S. ..it is a matter of nomenclature...same car anyway..! There is NO such thing as 06' s550
so to clarify:
S500 is 2006 model name and S550 is 2007 model name for US
S500 is the 2006 and 2007 model name for Europe

SoCalBenzLover

What might be helpful is to tell us what country you're in. Is the current '06 S350 and S500 in your country the new body style or old S-Class body style?

Here in the U.S., they introduced the S350 engine several months ago as an '06 in order to sell the last remainning S-Class body style at a lower price point. So as it pertains to us...yes, they introduced a "new model" for just a short period of time.

kenstudios

I've travelled and lived in a few countries and what I found out during these years is that these cars are sold in many other countries as the present year model car while in the US it would be the next year model car. Take for instance the W220, when first introduced in the US it was the 2000 S-class while in other countries it's the 1999 S-class. Same applies to the W221. It's sold in the US as the 07 but it's the 06 in most other countries. Dont know if it's a marketing blitz or what..... but it happens.

Search this forum and you will notice most pple overseas will refer to their 2000 S-class as the 1999 S-class. Also this beast is S550 here but in other places, S-500. I cant explain why. Someone in this forum posted pics last year of his new S-500 and it's the new body style. I hate to use other people's pics but heres one.

https://mbworld.org/forums/s-class-w221/124495-our-new-s500-here.html

ClayJ

it's a different countries-USA thing.....

SoCalBenzLover

I'm not so knowledgeable on what happens outside the U.S., but definitely know that we are not the first ones to get the cars, and other countries get them first or are badged differently.

Phonetics...bottom line, it all depends on what Benz decides to send to your country. Can you check with a local dealer to see what to expect in your country?

MB AMG

I'll definitely have to check with MB Canada, or maybe see if they have one at the dealer in a bit. Says nothing about the nomenclature on the web site as well.

Some other differences between Canada and the US is that we're not getting the 2006 S350 and all the S430's are 4Matic.

phonetics

the S350 and 500 selling here now is the W221 body style. I guess the 06 S500 model in USA is still the W220 body style. I don't think we will have S550 for W221 outside USA then. It's all clear now. Thanks.

Germancar1

Well the reason for the model years is clear. The car was introduced at Frankfurt back in Sept so that would make it a 2006 car in Europe and elsewhere because in mode countries a 2007 model car can't go on sale before Jan 1, 2006 anyway. Since we won't get the car until after Jan 2006, they always decide to get a jump on the next model year. Mercedes has done this for years and years, nothing new. Now why they're calling the S500 a S550 here and vice versa everywhere is a mystery.

M

ruykava

apparently badging it a model year later than it really is somehow helps with tax purposes as well. but i'm not sure about the details.

as for the reason for calling it a 550 in the USA - i duno, marketing is the only thing that comes to mind.

Modeer

that's true, i've owned two mercedes's in the US and my family owned several here in saudi, i always used saudi or GCC specs to refer ti when ordering, or trying to order, specs in the US. Most of the times, i wasn't able to do so. The BUTTER: even int'l specs on US cars are delayed by more than one year sometimes, such as the keyless go.

Edison_Chen

Did we ever get a S350 in Canada?

BoBcanada

no