Kain

What is the difference between a US and GCC spec S-Class? Does the GCC spec come with a better A/C due to a hotter climate in GCC countries or is it the same as the US spec A/C? Secondly, if I were to buy an US spec S-Class from the US and import it here to Dubai, will the warranty be transferable? If not, will I be able to buy warranty for the car from the local dealer here in Dubai?

Kain

Okay, I guess most of you don't know what GCC specs are. Anyway, GCC specs are pretty much the same as Euro specs, so what is the difference between a US and Euro spec S-Class?

Secondly, can you change the speedometer from mph to km/h or is it fixed at mph?

sako97

The euro S-Class has a TV tuner and dvd in motion, the US doesn't. Also the US spec has the orange side marker. Other than that I don't know of any differences.

MB Fanatic

Euro spec cars also get more interior options like the ability to add granite instead of wood. I love the granite look but here in the USA thanks to MBUSA's retarded approach to everything, we cannot have this option.

Diesel Benz

Video in motion on Euro cars is only up to a very slow speed, not really intended as VIM.

There are quite many small differences between the Euro and US cars. Like manual tranny program, speedtronic speed limiter, I guess now US cars have child locks at rear doors, rain closure for the sunroof, etc. etc. Nothing extreme though.

If you (OP) can find a VIN for a GCC car, you can compare that with a US or a Euro car at EPC and find the differences.

nkole

Seems highly unlikely a US warranty would be valid in Dubai.

trumpet1

OK, I give up. What does GCC stand for?

EinMD

Thanks for asking Trumpet! I have been thinking the same thing

trumpet1

Gulf Cooperation Council maybe??

WingFlex

Aren't cars in certain Middle East markets (such as the UAE and Saudi) priced very similarly to those in the USA?

If so, would it not be more feasible to purchase one locally, for the warranty, aftersales service and peace of mind (less hassle)? Moreover, might affect resale value and thus negate any savings to be had by importing a US model (if any).

Personally, have always preferred Euro-spec models over North American ones. IIRC, NA W221s do not have all of the Pre-safe features such as adjusting seats in emergency braking and Brake Assist Plus. At least I tried on mine and it didn't give the same response when tried on a Euro-spec model. And NA models have certain features deactivated, such as the self-adjusting headrest on front passenger seat whenever it detects a passenger has left the seat. I believe the MY2009 may have brake hold function, but not available in models prior whereas Euro-spec ones had always have them since launch in end-2005. Just to name a few.

cjf_moraga

Actually I believe that my MY2008 S600 has this feature... (Something is holding me up on the hills of San Francisco!)

Chris

WingFlex

I meant to say brake hold as in you can get the brakes to hold during a red light and when you tap on the gas again the brakes will release. Was this feature available in MY2008 in the US? I remember reading they were only introduced in MY2009.

Diesel Benz

As above, this is likely the "hill-hold" function instead of brake hold.

trumpet1

Mine holds if I am in the "C" mode of transmission. When I put it in "S", the car let's go and drifts back. Try it and see if yours does the same way.

Diesel Benz

I've never seen this mentioned before. I know my passenger seat headrest adjusts itself away (lowers) when the seat is not occupied but is this really deactivated from US cars? Not a real big thing but these minor details seem to pile up.

Z356

I, like Chris, thought we had this feature already when the new S/CL platform was introduced for MY2007 in US. Now, I am not so sure. I had the described feature (see quote above by WingFlex) on my 2004 BMW 745i. In fact, you could set the brake hold feature to engage after each engine start by programming one of two buttons automatically which kept it in memory (e.g. steering wheel button marked 'Star' set for daylight driving lights and second steering wheel button set for 'brake hold'). The 'brake hold' was one of my favorite features of this BMW. I thought that my '07 CL600 would also have this brake hold feature...yet I have never been able to auto-program it like you can on the BMW (standard since the last 7 platform was introduced in 2002!). Hitting the CL/S parking button on the left of the dash EVERYTIME you come to a stoplight can't possibly be the only way to make this 'hold brake' feature work, no? Or is it? Can someone enlighten me on how to properly make this 'brake hold'/'hill hold' feature work in 'auto' mode on a '07 CL600/S600 since I obviously have not mastered the technique? Does my '07 CL600 even have a true 'hold brake'/'hill brake' feature as described in above quote by WingFlex? I am currently only using the parking button to engage the parking brake AFTER I park the car. But I eventually will have to travel to San Francisco and will find the auto brake hold essential as I drive up on Divisadero. Thanks for any input. Z356.

Diesel Benz

My understanding is that Brake Hold only appeared recently on US cars.

Note that Brake Hold is different from Hill Assist. Brake hold keeps the car steady, as long as Hold is active, at traffic lights etc. Brake Hold is activated by bringing the car first to standstill, then pressing the brake pedal "a bit more" and releasing the pedal. The HOLD text would appear at the cluster. If you have not seen the hold text at the instrument cluster, you have not used the brake hold feature. See the Euro user manual figure for the cluster:
http://www4.mercedes-benz.com/manual.../d13e936.shtml

Hill hold works automatically, no need to play with the brake pedal. Brake Hold is neither activated or controlled with the parking brake switch.

Z356

Well, I drove my '07 CL600 around Carmel and tried to press hard at stoplights to see if the brake hold function would light up on the dash and the car would be 'not move'. No luck. Can someone here in US confirm if their '07 & '08 S / CL vehicles have 'brake hold'? Ok, now what about the 'hill hold' function? Do we have that in our US model cars for '07 and '08, or not? Thanks. Z356

trumpet1

I was going to check and see in my manual for that feature but my wife is out of town with my car right now (**worried sick**) I'm going to the Alabama/Auburn game tomorrow and didn't want to risk getting my car hit trying to negotiate in the crowd of cars so I decided to take her C class instead.


Would the brake hold feature be something found in the manual?


#### ROLL TIDE ROLL!!!####

cjf_moraga

You are quite correct Trumpet! I never noticed this before. I drove up a steep hill this afternoon and stopped halfway in "S" and the car started rolling back. I then drove up a little further in "C" and the car held its position on the steep hill.

I then repeated this again with "S" and the car rolled back and while rolling back I changed to "C" and the car immediately stopped still. In fact by flicking between "C" and "S" I could roll back and then stop going backwards down the hill just by switching between "S" and "C" while not even having my foot on the brake. (Not sure that is good for the transmission though!)

However I appear to have confused Hill Assist with Brake Hold as Diesel Benz describes...

Chris

trumpet1

Yep. You described it exactly as I see it. What doesn't make sense to me is that in S , the car is supposed to start off in 1st gear. In C it starts off in 2nd gear. If that is true, you would think 1st gear would hold the car on a hill better than 2nd gear while in C mode.

EinMD

Very good Trumpet1!!!

"The Gulf Cooperation Council [GCC] was established in an agreement concluded on 25 May 1981 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia between: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE. These countries declared that the GCC is established in view of the special relations between them, their similar political systems based on Islamic beliefs, joint destiny and common objectives. The GCC is a regional common market with a defense planning council as well. The geographic proximity of the these countries and their general adoption of free trade economic policies are factors that encouraged them to establish the GCC."

WingFlex

Guys, I myself can confirm because I own both (North America and Euro-spec) versions.

My MY2007 S550 does not have brake hold function.

My V221s in Asia (Euro-spec) have brake hold and it works by pressing on the brake pedal all the way and "HOLD" will show up next to the speedo. To undo this, tap lightly on the gas pedal or depress the brake pedal hard. It's simple and intuitive; does not involve extra buttons or anything like the 7-series.

Starting MY2009 S/CL in North America will have this feature.

Diesel Benz: indeed NA models do not have that feature (at least disabled) where the headrest lowers itself when a passenger gets off the front passenger seat. It's not a big deal but it's small features like these that make you go: "wow, an S Class indeed"...

trumpet1

Well I was wondering.