New S-Class to break aero records

Mercedes-Benz will take advantage of an all-new wind tunnel to deliver an S-Class limousine that promises to be slipperier through the air than a Volkswagen Golf.

It doesn’t matter that Benz will offer its all-new S-Class with an overall length of 5.7 metres because its sleek drag coefficient, expected to be around 0.24, will let it slice through air better than most sportscars.

Daimler is unveiling an all-new wind tunnel near Stuttgart to help further refine its flagship’s aerodynamics package, though it will easily undercut its rivals from Bentley, BMW, Audi, Porsche and Jaguar. To be shown to the world in around June this year, the all-new S-Class (codenamed W222) has been spotted testing in Sweden this week.

The car shown is believed to be the shortest of the S-Class’s three planned wheelbases and will be the first one on sale in around September this year.

It will be followed by a long wheelbase version and an extra-long wheelbase version -- which Mercedes-Benz will call the Pullman -- six months later.

The new S-Class architecture will also underpin a coupe, which will have its own individual look after years of the CL being little more than a two-door version of the sedan style.

The coupe will be based around a shortened version of the standard sedan and has been engineered to go head-to-head with Bentley’s Continental GT.

It won’t be the last two-door, though, with Mercedes-Benz also planning a soft-top convertible version of the S-Class, due in late 2014.

While its looks draw inspiration from both the F800 Style concept car and the small CLA sedan, the W222 will have its own muscular appearance highlighted by pioneering full LED lighting around the car.

It will not only have adaptive LED headlights and taillights, but LED indicators built into its side mirrors as well.

The new generation will also usher in a raft of new electronic safety technologies that make lane-departure warnings look primitive. These included auto-braking technologies tied in to sensors that detect hazards coming from side streets, plus a big rubber matt that pushes down beneath the engine to stop the car even harder in emergencies.

Power will come from Benz’s current array of V6, V8 and V12 engines, though there will also be four and six-cylinder turbodiesels, all running through either rear-drive or all-wheel drive systems.

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