Technology Improvements To Mercedes Benz Vehicles

Technology Improvements To Mercedes Benz Vehicles

Ever on the forefront of evolving technology and always interested in increasing comfort for its drivers and riders, Mercedes Benz is constantly evolving gadgets for their vehicles that make them faster and flashier and just plain cooler. The S-class is usually Mercedes' flagship vehicle and often prototypes many of the new advancements that they have been working on in their research and development laboratory. As you look back over the years, you can see that the S-Class has always been in a class all its own. Mercedes Benz likes to ensure its drivers and riders arrive at their destination in comfort. In order to achieve this, they minimize wind noise with double-glazed windows and equip the seating with heat controls, ventilation, and even massage capabilities. Add to that the fact that there is usually tons of space, and both driver and riders are comfortable for the length of the trip, whether down the street to the store or across the country to visit grandma. Mercedes Benz also likes to give their buyers a wide variety of options when it comes to engine size.

Not everyone needs the jaw-dropping power of a 6.5 liter V12 with 604 horsepower. And not everyone can afford that type of engine or the gas that it guzzles. Instead, they offer a wide range of engine sizes all the way down to a 3 liter V6 with 235 horsepower. This way, the car remains available to a wider variety of drivers and a wider variety of budgets. Mercedes wants to ensure that everyone can afford to drive their vehicle while keeping certain high-end options available for those that can or want to pay more. Mercedes Benz has often been criticized for having notoriously expensive or difficult to procure parts. It is inevitably true that Mercedes owners often have higher running costs when it comes to the lifetime of their vehicle. However, their cars are also worth more than similar competitors several years down the road. This maintenance of value and resale price can make up for dropping a bit of extra cash along the way. The quality of this type of car is undeniable and unparalleled. These vehicles feel good when you drive them and look good when they whiz past you down the street. You can be certain that the individuals behind the wheel are having a genuinely good time. But pulling all of these qualities together doesn't just happen. Many hours and many years at the drawing board in the research and development lab ensures that Mercedes is ahead of the game in innovative technology that improves the performance and quality of their vehicles.

Rear legroom, for example, is just 12mm short of the current, regular-wheelbase S-Class limo. There are three trim flavours: B180, B200 and B200 CDI, each powered by newly developed powerplants - two petrol and one diesel. All three offer more power and torque than the previous B-class variants they have replaced and with greater fuel efficiency. The B180 and B200 share the same 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that features direct injection and turbo charging. According to Mercedes-Benz, both petrol models will consume 6.1L/100km on a combined cycle - a reduction over the previous models of 1.5L/100km and 1.9L/100km respectively. On the other hand, the 1.8-litre four-cylinder diesel engine in the B200 CDI generates 100kW and 300Nm of torque, while consuming just 4.7L/100km, or a fall of 0.9L/100km over the previous B200 CDI. 43,950 before on-road costs are added. Oddly enough, there鈥檚 no push button start across the B-Class range - you need to insert the remote fob - and twist. It鈥檚 not a big deal (almost satisfying, to be honest), but it鈥檚 largely unexpected today, with the proliferation of start/stop buttons - even in less expensive models.

On an earlier inspection of the car, we also noticed the absence of any soundproofing material on the inside of the bonnet - something else that is commonplace today in order to insulate the cabin from engine noise. But any fears we might have about the new B-Class being in some way irritably noisy can be laid to rest. Whether you鈥檙e overtaking at 110km/h on a country road, or accelerating hard from a standstill, the B-Class is noticeably refined and quiet. However, while progress under load feels more than adequate, it鈥檚 not quite as swift as we expected from the top of the range petrol model. 38,950 entry-level B180 might have been cause for alarm, with less power and torque on tap. Not so. There鈥檚 less power, but it peaks slightly earlier and the torque curve is exactly the same as the B200, so the performance gap between the two models is a lot less than you might imagine. The B200 and B200 CDI are very evenly matched in so many ways, making the choice between the two difficult. For starters, they share the same starting price and same equipment specification.