A sense of occasion sets in when it drives up to you. Step out from one and the kind of respect you receive is second to none. I have driven and have been driven in one many a time, yet, my excitement levels are always high every time I get up close with one.  That is the essence of what a Mercedes-Benz S-Class is all about. It has been given the title of the ‘Best Car in the World” and for good reason. Setting the benchmark generation after generation when it comes to luxury is no easy feat. But rivals have caught up and caught up well. The new 7-Series is a tech marvel and the India bound new Audi A8 has a few tricks up its sleeve as well. To stay true to the title that has been bestowed upon it, Mercedes has given its flagship sedan a mid-life refresh. But wait.. Before you go ’Oh just a facelift’, there’s more to this refresh than just some cosmetic updates. The most significant change is under the hood. Excited now? Good. So let’s begin then. Here is the 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S350d.

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class S350d Exterior

The 2018 S-Class retains the body and sheet metal of the original W222 but comes with a number of new design elements. The large new front grille features three large horizontal slats with the vertical strips finished in glossy black. There is a black panel in the centre of the grille that’s acts as protection for the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) sensors, but more on that later. The new headlamps are Intelligent LED units and the detailing is astonishing. Mercedes says the reach of the main beam is 650m to the road up ahead.  While the pre-facelift S-Class featured a single LED strip for the DRL (daytime running lamp), the new car gets three LED strips that Mercedes calls the ‘Triple Torch’ design. This design element helps distinguish the the S-Class as the range topping model in the hierarchy of the model range. The E-Class gets two LED strips while the C-Class gets only one.  The new front bumper features larger air intakes and gives the S-Class a rather sporty look. There is nothing new in the side profile but the S-Class comes with a set of new 5 spoke 18 inch alloys. While the design is nicer than before, the alloys looks rather small for a car of the S-Class’ stature. Our favourites are still the alloys that came with the Launch Edition S500 4 years ago. The rear gets a new bumper with a chrome strip between the twin exhaust pipes that are actually fake. The LED tail lamps get a crystal look that adds a very classy touch.

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