It will sell.

People will get used to it.

M-B will tweak things in the LCI/facelift.

Life will go on.

COVID will be a thing of the past.

I like the exterior but need more and higher quality photos to fully evaluate the interior.

 

Very wise, sir.

 

Of course it will sell, even the Chris Bangle/d 7 series sold and sold well b/c some people have to have the newest and biggest no matter, but they were fugly just like some of the the giant grilled BMW's on the road today. But, will the new S set sales records like MB would like it to? Probably not based upon what we've seen thus far. I do think it's important to see these in the flesh and will reserve final judgment til then, but if it looks like an overgrown new E with little visual differentiation, then it may be a disappointment. Covid will pass but there has been, and will be others (20,21 22 etc) and mutations (some good, some potentially very bad), it's not the first (covid is not a new thing) nor last, the question is at what cost to the economy and human life, and what are we willing to sacrifice now to prevent the version we are facing now from making things worse later? We already had a poor start to this thing. It's like the old Shell Oil commercial from the 70's...you can pay me a little now, or a lot more later...

 

Also don't forget they made a mistake of introducing the restyled E-class before the W 223, furthermore making it looking like an overgrown E class. This is not how MB used to operate. The S-class used to be the one with the new style and then pass it on down to others. This is a bad move and very bad decision. SMH

 

Yes, in case you might have missed it, see this video on the S's evolution going back to the beginning as it morphs the versions into one another...

 

You rang?

 

Have you seen what's coming?

 

Those buck teeth can’t be for real. I think the new S class looks just fine. It’s understated, conservative, and looks good. Not loud. And I care more about the interior than I do about the exterior. I’m actually more bothered by the lack of integration of the center panel than the front dash panel, but more important to me is cabin isolation and functionality of the infotainment system. People will eventually embrace it and the W222 will start looking dated.

 

Unfortunately, at least from what we know thus far, they are...but really hope it's not the case!

I think a lot of this is coming from BMW's own concepts: https://www.bmwusa.com/concept-vehicles/concept-i4.html

 

You don’t like the AMG Sport package?

 

I hardly needed another reason to keep my 2015 S-600; but I got one anyway.

 

I just had a thought on why the center panel needs to be the way it does. The screen needs to be in each reach of the right hand. The current W222’s display does not allow easy tactile/touch access. The center touch panel on the W223 appears to be pulled forward. Proper integration would need some part of the dash to curve forward to encompass the screen.

 

Let's just be thankful they aren't slipping a four-cylinder engine into the S!

 

Probably already have in Europe. Wait for it. It will happen.

 

MB has a 4-cyl 2.0 liter 416 HP 369 lb-ft engine that could do the trick, even detuned a bit.

 

While the power would likely be adequate for many, the sound the 2L engines make would likely be unpleasant for most S Class buyers, just my opinion. The 2L in the E300 makes (subjectively) an awful sound inside the cabin.

 

I agree. The 4-cylinder E300’s sound like something less than a luxury car inside, while outside, it sounds like a piece of junk. One drove by me in a parking lot the other day and I did a double take, as I could not believe the NOISE that was coming from a late model MB. A high performance 4-cylinder may do the trick in the S Class, the trick being me DISAPPEARING as an MB customer. I love the V8 in my S560, but could see myself driving the same car with a TTV6, but that’s where I would draw the line.

 

If I wanted a four, I'd buy a Toyota or a Mazda ... no amount of "lipstick on the pig" would make it suitable for one of the world's best high-end cars ...

 

Fortunately the V6 will be replaced with the inline 6.

 

You know, I gotta tell you that I was waiting, with great anticipation, for the new GLE450 with the new I6. There was so much written about it for years that I thought I would be blown away with the smoothness of the new MB engine—but I wasn’t! I drove the new GLE450 and was not impressed at all. I have the tried & true V6 in my SL450 and that engine, based on the seat of my pants, gives much of nothing up to the new I6. I understand about the internal starter, mild hybrid features, etc., but when it comes to smoothness and delivery of power, the V6 is just wonderful.

 

Unfortunately there is nothing luxurious feeling about a 4 banger pulling a 2 ton luxury car. That four needs to work a lot harder than the eight to achieve that 400HP. 400 HP from an eight is a lot different that 400 HP from a four. Not for me, no thanks.

 

I wasn't suggesting it for anyone here, just pointing out the possibility. And I wouldn't buy one either. If I don't get an EQS or some other EV, I'd like to see a plug-in hybrid W223 version based on the I6 and a moderately powerful electric motor or two. If not tuned for economy, that would probably be faster, more fun, and in most situations more quiet than a V8 S560 (or whatever the standard V8 W223 is called).

 

The smoothness improvement should have been in the form of NVH I6 is inherently balanced and the V6 isn't. Maybe MB has been able to compensate for the lack V6 smoothness with the sacrificial mounts that the I6 won't require.

From an engineering point of view the MB V6 is an example of actually making a silk purse from a sows ear. Point being the I6 is more befitting a car of the S Class caliber and is more in line with classic Mercedes Benz lineage.

 

I agree with you. And, I WANTED to love this new I6, but I’m telling you that there was no huge difference! This MB I6 does NOT feel like a wonderful, old, BMW I6. It just doesn’t, not to me.

 

Maybe I can shed some light here and help explain what might be going on.

Sometimes it's not the engine that's causing the vibration as it could well be an associated drivetrain component or part of the hybrid system. I'll cite two examples from personal experience.

When MB went to the 9G which is a marvelous trans, the transition to the rwd models in the S's created no issues, but when it went into the AWD S models ie the 550 coupes something that was modified in the AWD driveline created a vibration at idle that was not present on the 7G versions (I know I had both a 16 and 17 at the same time). The transfer case was redesigned for the AWD in MY 17+ at the same time the 9G went in, and it may have very well had something to do with the rougher idle. I was working closely with the MBUSA Rep and he with MB in Germany on this for a while, and we tested several S550 soupes together from both MY's, the 16's (including mine) were so smooth you couldn't tell they were even idling, but every 17 (non AMG) had a vibration/resonance at idle. If one did not have the previous model with the 7G they most likely would not even know to realize the difference, but if they did or had a RWD sedan too, it's easy to notice. After doing my part for several months trying to help allowing MB to use my 17 as a guinea pig, they tried many things to correct the issue which proved unsuccessful and I sold my 17 for a new 19 BMW M850XI (fabulous automobile, butter smooth, well built, and a rocket). The rep stayed in touch with me for sometime thereafter as we struck several common chords, and he indicated since most customers were oblivious to the issue and since the 4.7 was being replaced by the newer 4.0 he was hoping it would be addressed during the transition, but sadly it was not (I was offered an 18 to try and get back to them and the issue persisted). The MB rep retired shortly thereafter so I'm not sure if the TC was ever updated.

The next example was with our 2017 Audi Q7's 3.0, it was also butter smooth with a supercharged V6, and the new 3.0 turbo 2020 we ordered which is a partial hybrid setup, was displaying a rough idle as were all those we tried. I have no idea what the exact cause was/is, but I'd bet it's the new engine's semi-hybrid setup. Again, if one didn't own the previous version they most likely would not notice unless they were the discerning type.

So with all that said, I'd bet the I6 is supersmooth on its own as they inherently are, but the added hybrid components may be causing the lack of refinement (for lack of a better word) you have experienced. It's truly as shame for MB to finally move back to I6's, and other components diminish the utter smoothness they display.