Like the regression to the more sleek lines and getting rid of the chunky wheel flare. More like W220. Less stodgy

Like the side panel lines. Contemporary and sleek

Like the tech. Hope the NAV is even close to the American cars with Garmin

Love magic body control

Like multi spoke wheels

Love that we are in for a new sound system (MBUSA reads mbworld posts?)

Dislike the tail lights. Why? Can't articulate. Maybe they are so different. I will get used to them until I obsess on a the face lift in 4 years when they ditch them

Can't wait to hear from those who get early test drive


I am all in. Had the 2007 launch and will probably go for fall delivery

 

I cannot find anything that I don't like. I am in for the fall delivery as well (hopefully). I am just waiting for the order banks to open so that I can get a build in. The order banks have to open soon if its scheduled for production in July/August for September delivery.

 

Dislikes:

-The big, round, almost characterless grille ("HUGE" isn't a character), would have liked the sharper pointed style like the W221 facelift and W212 pre-facelift.

-The HEADLIGHTS. HIDEOUS. M-B can't design elegant and sleek headlights to save their lives, it seems. I see the front of this car looking as dated as the E65 7-Series in the future. Too blocky, clunky an mashed together, lots of visible seamlines around the grille/headlights, etc.

-Two Spoke Steering Wheel: Incredibly geriatric themed. I love classic, but this isn't even classic.... reminds me of old Lincoln's, and it will be horrible for functionality as sometimes you need that lower bar for not only quick-reflext steering, but quick-reflex safety.

-The rest of the interior looks very confusing... in the sense that I can't tell if I love it or hate it. Lots going on, lots of clashing elements, lots of old-world mixed with this awkward array of trying-new-world, HOWEVER, at the same time it's very interesting and certainly high-end. Time will tell for me on this one.

-LONG OVERHANGS WITH TOO SHORT WHEELBASE PROPORTIONS. Some of the pictures show the wheels pushed too far close to each other, therefore the frontal overhang is very large. M-B tried to disguise this by caving the corners in a ton, but you can clearly see the overhang itself is IMO exceedingly large.

-REAR: Very plain, and I don't like how the taillights are separated by a thin strip of metal from the edge of the trunk lid. The rear looks a little "geriatric" and I feel M-B has been having trouble with rears for some time.

-Side dropping line: My worst favorite part of the design. It is forced, clashes with the wedge profile of the car an greenhouse, and just ends.... nowhere. Cohesion is a big issue with M-B design these days, and the dropping line being artificially forced onto a core architecture which rejects it, shows that, IMO.

-Overall the exterior looks a little dull, which is fine if the car was effortlessly going for understadness.... however I feel it's trying a little bit hard in quite a few ways as well.

-LIKES:

-It looks regal and elegant overall.

-The proportions are very nice overall.

-The interior screams "luxury car", at least in the Optioning they show it with (I assume the standard will be much less "eventful", but certainly still filled with cachet).

-The greenhouse is very nice, a great evolution of the W221 as it seems almost identical, but just a little bit smoother, tighter, more sleekened.

-The Sport Package is very well done, especially against the horrible overtried version on the new E-Class.

-I love that they didn't put the overused corporate "Star Grille" and ruin the dignity of the S like IMO they did the E.

-And the technology and drive I'm sure will be incredible (they better be!).

 

The exterior has lost its identity as an S class - from the side, it looks like a stretched CLS now.

 

Order banks open up tomorrow.

 

Come to think of it you are correct. i guess we need to see the car in the flesh. That always makes the difference

 

I think he's onto something in the sense that the S has always been the one to introduce a whole new design idiom. The W222 is the first one to pretty much rehash current M-B design trends, like the increasingly-ubiquitous dropping line, headlights (which are almost identical in shape to the A Class and CLA, and similar to the SL's awkward shape), the bumpers which are similar to the facelift E, etc.

However, the interior is a total revolution for M-B, completely newly though up from the ground up, with some carryover traits from the W221 (center compartment areas for one).

M-B themselves actually stated this, saying that the S usually introduces the new design language, however the W222 would be the first to NOT introduce a new exterior design, while the W205 C Class would be taking that order (and the A-Class technically introduced many new design languages for M-B.... and unfortunate role reversal where the bottom trickles upwards). They, however say that the W222 would introduce an all new INTERIOR, which we can see is spot on.

 

Until I see one in person, I reserve judgement, but, I am not fond of the grill proportions and layout. In photos, it almost looks like the grill you see in insurance advertisements where they craft a generic car. In a way, the grill almost looks like a characature of itself. I sure hope that looks better in person.

 

I see your point. It reminds me of an overblown version of the W220 pre-facelift grill. Before MB started doing the more cunning and distinct pointed bottoms with more palatably large sizes of the W212 v1 and W221 facelift.

 

I love the exterior, I just don't feel the interior though.

The steering wheel is horrendous, and I especially dislike the round vents.

The wheels look very Volkswagen in some of the pictures.

I reserve final judgement until I see one on person of course.

Nick

 

I love the exterior, even the awkward headlights.

The dash design and steering wheel are hideous. They look like a 1990s Lincoln. Terrible.

 

Hate the head and tail lights, the steering wheel, the round vents, and the new gauge layout (it better be customizable). Miss the flared arches. These new side curves sure look like ding magnets.

 

Seriously. I keep thinking it's a 2013 version of what a 90's Towncar or Continental evolution would look like.

 

Steering wheel is super ugly in pictures but probably better in person, it would be a shame if they used the same one in the upcoming 63 and 65 versions.

 

I think they said they'll be putting a 3 spoke in the AMG variants. No way a lazy-boy 2 spoke would work in a car intended for any kind of "spirited" driving.

 

Great design in and out. I like the current trend and design of MB and departure from the current. BMW in the meantime have regressed into the "one sausage, three sizes" design philosophy. Interior, including the wheel is also quite nice. Clearly Mercedes is trying to compete directly with Rolls Royce (BMW) and Bentley.

I hope the short version will be available here as this car would be too big for me.

 

I am no fan of the steering wheel, but these comments are pretty silly...

Keep in mind that the lower part of the steering wheel had to be open to enable the drive assist mode. The thicker portion at the bottom is there for a reason...

 

Are your thoughts still the same since you may have seen one in person?