New Mercedes-Benz S-Class Arrives In The UK With A Higher Price Tag Than BMW 7 And Audi A8

Mercedes-Benz’s flagship sedan, the S-Class, is finally on sale in the United Kingdom, with first deliveries commencing before the end of 2020.

Offered in five trim levels and with a choice of three powertrains at launch, it has a starting MSRP of £78,705 (equal to $100,158 at today’s exchange rates), making it £8,085 ($10,289) and £5,820 ($7,406) more expensive than the rivaling BMW 7-Series and Audi A8 respectively.

Customers can choose from the AMG Line, AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus, AMG Line Premium Executive and AMG Line Premium Plus Executive grades, with the base model featuring standard 19-inch wheels, MultiBeam Intelligent Light System, soft-close doors, MBUX infotainment and digital cluster and Nappa leather upholstery.

Comparison: 2021 Mercedes S-Class Vs. BMW 7-Series Vs. Audi A8 – Which German Flagship Saloon Gets Your Vote?

The AMG Line Premium starts at £85,200 ($108,424) and adds bigger 20-inch wheels, 360-degree camera system, active ambient lighting, panoramic sliding sunroof and, for the long wheelbase variant, electrically adjustable rear seats with memory function, luxury head restraints and climatised rear outer seats.

Features such as the augmented reality head-up display, heated front armrest, heated front and rear door armrests, heated steering wheel and windscreen, climatised front seats, Air Balance, Energizing Comfort Package, Digital Light with Ultra Range high beam and 21-inch wheels are standard in the AMG Line Premium Plus that costs £95,695 ($121,780), which is limited to the LWB model.

The £3,795 Executive line ($4,829) package can be specified to the Premium and Premium Plus LWB cars and includes rear electric sun blinds, double sun visors, front passenger seat adjustable from the rear with removable head restraint and electrically extendable footrest, and 7-inch MBUX rear tablet.

Power is supplied by a 2.9-liter diesel in the S350d and S400d, making 286 PS (282 HP / 210 kW) and 600 Nm (443 lb-ft) of torque, and 330 PS (325 HP / 243 kW) and 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) respectively. The only petrol offering is the S500, which uses a 3.0-liter unit, rated at 435 PS (429 HP / 320 kW) and 520 Nm (384 lb-ft).

All models come paired to a nine-speed automatic transmission, and the S400d and S500 are available with the 4Matic all-wheel drive system, for the first time in a right-hand drive S-Class.