2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S350d Interior
The interior of the S-Class is no less than a luxury suite. There is a certain old school charm to the cabin that also reminds you of classic Mercedes sedans of the yesteryears. The wood finish, the circular AC vents and the analogue clock all add to the retro feel. So what’s new inside? To begin with there are two 12.3 inch displays for the instrument cluster and the infotainment system. They are now merged into a single unit and have stunning graphics and colours. There are lots of settings to play with via the controller on the centre console. For the first time, the S-Class also comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smart phone integration. There is a new Nappa leather wrapped three spoke steering wheel that feels nicer than the earlier two spoke one. The new steering gets silver finish spokes and come with an array of buttons and touch pads that operate everything from the audio to phone and controlling the ADAS. The S-Class also gets wireless charging at both the front and back and will work only with compatible high end smartphones (If you own an S-Class you will have an expensive high end phone won’t you?). The AIR BALANCE package gives you a choice of six different fragrances to choose from. Mercedes will also give you an additional fragrance flask to fill your personal choice of scent. Other features include 64 colour ambient lighting, a large panoramic sunroof, THERMOTRONIC climate control (four zone) and a 13 speaker 590 W Burmester sound system.
The front seats are large and extremely comfortable as expected. They come with electric adjust but memory function for the driver’s seat is missing. But the S-Class is all about the back seats isn’t it? As expected they are extremely luxurious and will spoil you silly. They get heating, cooling function and half a dozen massage programmes that transform the S-Class into a spa on wheels. The rear seats also get electric adjust and the back rests can be reclined to an angle of upto 43.5 degrees. And then there are the soft pillows over the headrests. As part of the Chauffeur package, an additional 77 mm knee room is available for the rear left passenger. The front seat can be moved forward electrically and a foot rest also comes out from under the front seat. The result is a fully reclined lounge seat that can rival the business class experience of an airline. The rear passengers also get two 10.2 inch HD screens for entertainment. The COMMAND online infotainment system can also be controlled from the rear using a a remote. Other niceties include electric sunblinds for the rear windows and the rear windshield.
The 2018 S-Class comes with a white key that sets it apart from other Mercedes models that get black ones. The doors and boot both get the soft touch closing function but its shocking that the boot does not get a button for auto close. The boot by itself is large but a space saver tyre tied down to the boot floor compromises a lot on usable space.
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