Introducing the 2009 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

AFTER four years in production and sales of 270,000 units, Mercedes-Benz is now presenting the 2009 S-Class.

With an even more dynamic design, even more comfort and pathfinding innovations, this extensively updated new series of the world's most successful luxury saloon is reiterating its claim to be the standard for automotive progress.

The high safety standard typical of the S-Class is further improved by a unique combination of new camera and radar based driver assistance systems, with innovations such as Speed Limit Assist, Attention Assist Drowsiness Detection and Adaptive Highbeam Assist. More agility and driving enjoyment is ensured by Direct-Steer and modified Active Body Control with crosswind stabilisation for the eight and twelve-cylinder models.

The new luxury saloon will be launched in Jati's Gadong showroom on August 17.

With 270,000 units sold since its market launch in autumn 2005, the W 221-series S-Class is the world's most successful luxury saloon. Since 1951, when the Model 220 founded the lineage of the S-Class, Mercedes-Benz has sold around 3.3 million units of this model series. Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of Daimler AG and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Cars: "The S-Class is the worldwide market leader. Thanks to innovative technology, first-class comfort and trailblazing safety systems, the flagship model from Mercedes-Benz is seen as a pioneer in automotive development."

A combination of ultra-modern assistance and protection systems turns the S-Class into an "intelligent" partner that can see, feel, respond reflexively and act independently to prevent accidents or mitigate their effects. For the first time Mercedes-Benz also uses cameras in these systems—these are able to look well ahead, monitor the car's surroundings and interpret critical situations.

One example is the optional Adaptive Highbeam Assist which recognises oncoming vehicles or vehicles ahead with their lights on, and then controls the headlamps to ensure the best possible beam range without dazzling other road users.

As a new feature, the Night View Assist Plus with infrared camera is now equipped with a special pedestrian detection function. As soon as the system detects pedestrians on the road ahead, they are highlighted on the display to make them more readily noticeable.

Lane Keeping Assist is another system that "looks ahead" for even safer driving. The camera on the inside of the windscreen is able to recognise clear lane markings by evaluating the contrasting images of the road surface and the markings. If the vehicle leaves its lane unintentionally, the driver is warned by short vibrations of the steering wheel. The Mercedes system is able to evaluate the driver's activities as well, and can reliably ascertain whether the car is leaving its lane intentionally or not. There is therefore no warning if the driver accelerates before overtaking or joining a motorway, brakes heavily or enters a bend.

The images supplied by the windscreen camera are also used by the new, optional Speed Limit Assist, which recognises speed limit signs in passing and shows the relevant speed limit in the central display (standard for S 600).

Thanks to an innovative technology the 2009 S-Class has a very sensitive antenna for the attention level of its driver, and can warn him in time when he becomes drowsy. A standard equipment in the 2009 S-Class, the drowsiness detection system Attention Assist continuously monitors more than 70 different parameters. Once the evaluation electronics recognise the steering behaviour pattern that typically indicates the onset of drowsiness on the basis of information from the highly sensitive steering angle sensor, a warning signal is sounded and "Attention Assist. Break!" appears in the instrument cluster.

The Brunei Times