The brilliant new Mercedes-Benz S 500 has already take the Indian luxury car market by storm, but just how good is this new diesel?
The new S-class is a byword for innovation and luxury. Not just a super-luxury sedan, but a rolling technology demonstrator on wheels, the new S-class has gone straight to the top of its class. The twin-turbo V8 engine in the S 500 is creamy smooth and effortless, and has all the refinement you would expect. That car’s Rs 1.36 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai) price tag, however, also reflects its status as the ‘Best car in the World’. Mercedes, ever the democrat, has now launched a more affordable, more efficient and slightly lesser-equipped edition – this S 350 CDI.
First impressions of the car are just as strong as that of the petrol S 500. It looks stately and sleek at the same time, with those striking led headlamps and the big Mercedes chrome grille giving it a lot of presence.
With a diesel under the hood, you can’t expect petrol engine-like refinement, but start up and idle are astonishingly good for a diesel. There is a hint of a hum, if you mute the audio and set the AC fan speed to one, and it’s only when you extend the diesel engine and pull it hard that the serene calm of the cabin gets ever so slightly disrupted. But otherwise this motor is so creamy smooth, you don’t realise it is a diesel most of the time. As always, the double-glazed glass and the incredible sound insulation keeps you at arm’s length from the outside world.