Mercedes-Benz S 350 CDI vs rivals: Specification comparison

Mercedes-Benz has launched the S 350 CDI, the diesel motor-equipped version of its flagship luxury sedan, the S-class. The petrol powered S 500 was first launched in January this year and like it, the carmaker will assemble the S 350 CDI at its Chakan plant.

The Mercedes-Benz S 350 CDI squares off against equally impressive competitors like the Audi A8L 3.0 TDI, BMW 730Ld and the Jaguar XJ 3.0 diesel. All four cars get premium luxury features and also offer long options lists allowing buyers to customise as per their preferences. But which one should you put your money on? We compare these premium luxury sedans on paper.   

The signing amount

Mercedes-Benz launched the S 350 CDI at Rs 1.07 crore (ex-showroom, Pune), the local assembly playing an important role in helping the carmaker keep the price tag competitive.

The Audi A8L is the only CBU offering in this lot and this makes it slightly more expensive at Rs 1.12 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi), than the competition. Another point to bear in mind is that Audi tends to skimp on equipment in the standard offering and most of the kit can be had as rather expensive optional extras.

Jaguar launched the locally assembled XJ in May this year. While all the others are available in only one trim level, the XJ is available in Premium Luxury and Portfolio variants which retail for Rs 92 lakh and Rs 99 lakh, respectively (ex-showroom, Delhi). The one in this fray is the top Premium Luxury variant.

The BMW 730Ld is brought in as CKD units and costs Rs 1.02 crore (ex-showroom, Delhi).

Raising a storm

All four premium luxury sedan competitors come equipped with 3.0-litre diesel engines. The Mercedes-Benz S 350 CDI gets a seven-speed automatic gearbox while the diesel engines of the BMW 7-series, Audi A8L and the Jaguar XJ come mated to eight-speed automatic gearboxes.  

Only the Audi A8L gets the carmaker's Quattro four-wheel drive while the rest have a rear-wheel-drive configuration. 

The Mercedes S 350 CDI gets a V6 turbo-diesel engine good for 254.79bhp and 63.22kgm of torque.

The BMW 7-series's twin-turbo, inline, six-cylinder diesel engine makes 254.79bhp, identical to the power output of the S-class, and 57.1kgm of torque.

In comparison, Audi’s turbo diesel mill in the A8L makes 246.74bhp and 59.14kgm of torque. It is the least powerful motor in this bunch.

The diesel motor of the Jaguar XJ is good for 271.23bhp and 61.18kgm of torque and is the most powerful diesel mill amongst its rivals.

Both Audi and BMW claim a 0-100kph sprint time of 6.2 seconds while Jaguar says that the XJ can accelerate from 01-100kph in 6.4 seconds. Mercedes claims the S 350 CDI can reach 100kph from standstill in 6.8 seconds.

What’s on the standard equipment list?

All four rivals come equipped with features that can keep occupants in supreme comfort and in the lap of luxury. Each one comes equipped with leather upholstery, air suspension, four-zone climate control, cruise control, sunroof, soft-close function for doors and a host of safety features.  But some equipment is unique to each.

Let’s start by comparing the standard audio systems offered on all four cars. The S 350 gets a 13-speaker Burmester Surround Sound System while the A8 L comes with a 14-speaker Bose sound system. The BMW 730Ld gets a 16-speaker Harman Kardon surround sound system. The in-car entertainment system of the above three cars also get a six-DVD changer. The XJ is equipped with a 20-speaker Meridian sound system.

For rear passengers, the S 350 has an entertainment system comprising two 10-inch screens with DVD player, two wireless headphones and a remote control. The rear passengers of the BMW get two 9.2-inch screens with DVD drive with iDrive Touch controller. Both the Jaguar XJ and the A8L provide two 10.2-inch screens for rear seat occupants.

Considering its the chauffeur-driven who comprise a majority of customers for premium luxury sedans, rear seats are given a lot of importance. The S 350's rear gets electrically adjustable backrest and head restraints and heated seats with hot stone massage and memory function. On the XJ, the rear seats can be reclined and offer a massage function with three settings. In comparison, the BMW 730Ld has a massage function on the rear seats with twelve settings and six rotation balls. Surprisingly, on the A8L, rear seats do offer massage function as a standard feature.

In the crucial safety department, the Audi A8L, Mercedes-Benz S350, and the Jaguar XJ come equipped with eight airbags. Only the BMW 730Ld gets six airbags.

Both the A8L and the S 350 get a tyre pressure monitoring system as standard. The A8L gets a unique yacht-shaped gear shift lever.  

The final take

The Audi A8L, despite having the costliest price tag, doesn’t get too much of standard equipment. In fact, majority of the equipment offered to buyers are all paid extras. In comparison, BMW 730Ld comes equipped with a longer list of standard features and costs around Rs 10 lakh less than the A8L.

The Jaguar XJ Portfolio variant undercuts the BMW on price and gets more equipment than the standard A8L. The Mercedes-Benz S 350 CDI gets a good amount of kit and is a only bit more expensive than the XJ and 730Ld. Overall, it is the S 350 CDI that comes across as a complete package.  

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