Published on December 15th, 2021 | by Subhash Nair

All-New W223 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Introduced In Malaysia

Mercedes-Benz Malaysia introduces the all-new S-Class in Malaysia in one specification – the Mercedes-Benz S580e.

The flagship sedan of Mercedes-Benz has finally arrived in Malaysia. Only one specification of the all-new S-Class will be available officially in Malaysia and it’s the S 580 e, a plug-in hybrid with a 3-litre inline 6 petrol engine.

The price has yet to be confirmed, but the W223 will be locally-assembled in Pekan from the get-go for local consumption. Exporting the S-Class is not currently planned. Deliveries are anticipated in the latter half of January 2023.

Highlights of the new S-Class

Hybrid Power

The new Mercedes-Benz S 580e’s engine is mated to a 9G-Tronic automatic and has 367 horsepower between 5,500rpm and 6,100rpm with 500Nm of torque. The electric motor is rated at 110kW and 440Nm of torque. It has a top speed of 250km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 5.2 seconds. With a fully-charged battery, the new S-Class can deliver up to 100km of pure electric driving.

Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) and Interior

The second-generation MBUX system features machine learning and powers 5 displays with OLED technology. The system features a fingerprint scanner below the central display. The driver gets a new 3D driver display for a spatial view without the use of 3D glasses. MBUX Augmented Reality Navigation connects the virtual with the real while the voice assistant is triggered by the “Hey Mercedes” trigger word and can answer general knowledge questions and take voice inputs from the rear occupants as well.

Onboard cameras allows MBUX Interior Assist to recognise and anticipate the intentions of the occupants by looking at head direction, hand movements, body language and more. MBUX Interior Assist can even detect a car seat on the front passenger seat without the seat belt fastened.

Four driver and media display styles are offered – Discreet, Sporty, Exclusive and Classic while the three modes are Navigation, Assistance and Service.

You also get Burmester 3D surround sound with this new S-Class. Anthracite open-pore poplar wood trim gives the interior an ultra luxurious touch.

The nappa leather covered seats feature multiple motors, heatable additional cushion for the head restraint on the two electrically-adjustable rear seats, and an enhanced chauffeur configuration for the front passenger seat.

The new S-Class interior features interactive interior lighting on top of the existing ambient lighting. This interactive lighting is integrated with the driving assistance systems to reinforce alerts visually and also works with other MBUX systems.

Exterior design

The new S-Class was designed with classic sedan proportions with reduced character lines for a more organic but muscular look. Contoured surfaces, flush-mounted wheels and a wide track characterise the new S-Class’s exterior looks. The headlamps give the car a dynamic appearance and feature 3 extremely powerful LEDs with 1.3 million micro-mirrors. Highbeam Assist is 100 times more precise than before when excluding oncoming traffic from high beams.

The W223 is one of the most aerodynamic cars on the planet with its Cd figure of just 0.22. This is despite the enlargening of the frontal area of the new car. The interior noise comfort has also been improved as a result of the car’s smoothness through air as well as the new high-rigidity body shell. Apertures for the cable grommets in the firewall have double seals for an unobtrusive drive. Acoustic foam is used in certain body shell sections for the first time. It also features flush door handles that extend.

Advanced Safety

The all-new S-Class features a new set of sensors and driver assistance features that are more advanced than ever. They even work at low speeds, giving it the ability to theoretically carry out Level 3 autonomous driving in markets where this is legally allowed.

These sensors also detect side-on collisions before they happen and push the occupants out of the way by moving the seat side bolsters in the front backrests with a pyrotechnically-activated balloon. The new S-Class is also the first vehicle to feature frontal airbags for the rear passengers.

The new, mostly 50% aluminium body shell has lower weight but higher rigidity to ensure the safest possible vehicle. What’s more, nearly 100kg of the S-Class is sourced from resource-conserving materials with twice as many recyclates than the outgoing model. Another 40kg comes from renewable raw materials, such as recycled thread on the floor coverings.