2018 Mercedes S 350d launched, India's first BS-VI diesel car

NEW DELHI: India's leading luxury car brand, Mercedes-Benz, on Monday launched the new S-Class (S 350d and S 450) in India with a price tag of Rs 1.33 crore (ex-showroom). Imported as CKD (Completely Knocked Down) units in the country, the Mercedes S 350d has become the first made-in-India BS-VI vehicle.
The German carmaker has already launched the new Maybach S 650 along with its S 560 variant at the 2018 Auto Expo, priced at Rs 2.73 crore and Rs 1.94 crore (ex-showroom) respectively.
As per the government roadmap, BS-VI emission standards will come into force by April 2020. However, Delhi is expected to get the BS-VI fuel -- with high sulphur content -- earlier, by April 2018.

The facelift model of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class features all-new bumpers with sportier lines and a wider grille at the front. The adaptive intelligent LED headlamps are also redesigned, providing the car with a new facade. The tail lamps also get new internals while the side gets a change with the new alloy wheels.

The 2018 S-class offers a more premium cabin that gets a new dashboard with 'waterfall centre console.' It features an advanced infotainment system with 12.3-inch touchscreen along with touch panel controller. The instrument cluster is also a TFT screen with an adaptive display that changes according to the driving modes. The information readouts can be varied with the help of the steering mounted controls.
All the seats are electronically adjustable and the front ones get memory function as well. Luxury features, including ventilated seats with body-massage function and the four-zone climate control, remains unchanged.
At the heart of the new S-Class sits a new in-line, six-cylinder diesel engine that churns out 286PS and 600Nm of peak torque. The motor makes around 28PS more when compared to the 3.0-litre V6 that it replaces while the peak torque is 20Nm lesser than the predecessor.
A state-of-the-art Airmatic pneumatic suspension and the virtuous electronic stability program are among the other high-tech features of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
In India, the car competes with the likes of the BMW 7-Series, Audi A8, Jaguar XJ L and the Lexus LS.