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Mercedes-Benz S-Class
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Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class, formerly known as "special class" (German: "Sonderklasse", abbreviated as "S-Klasse"), is a series of full-sized luxury sedans and coupés produced by the German automaker Mercedes-Benz. The S-Class is the designation for top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz models and was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116, and has remained in use ever since. The S-Class is the flagship vehicle for Mercedes-Benz, being positioned above the other Mercedes-Benz models.
The S-Class has debuted many of the company's latest innovations, including drivetrain technologies, interior features, and safety systems (such as the first seatbelt pretensioners). The S-Class has ranked as the world's best-selling luxury sedan. In automotive terms, Sonderklasse refers to "a specially outfitted car." Although used colloquially for decades,[citation needed] following its official application in 1972, six generations of officially named S-Klasse sedans have been produced.
In 1981, the two-door, four-seat S-Class, designated as SEC, was introduced, sharing the petrol V8 engines with its four-door version, W126. After the introduction of a new nomenclature scheme, SEC was simply renamed as S-Class Coupé. For the 1996 model year, the coupé was separated from the S-Class line and named as new CL-Class (in line with other two-door models: CLK, SL, and SLK); however, the CL-Class was reintegrated into the S-Class model line (same with CLK becoming E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet). The first-ever S-Class convertible since 1972, internally named A217, was introduced and became a one-generation model only. After the end of W222 production in 2020, the successors to the C217 coupé and A217 convertible are not planned, citing the low demand for those models and stronger demand for SUV models.
Pre-World War II Mercedes-Benz followed a nomenclature scheme by which each model would have its own numeric code, tied to the displacement of its engine. The logic was that the bigger the displacement, the more prestigious the car will be. This overall scheme was kept in the postwar time, however as the tooling and production facilities were much more limited, Mercedes-Benz adopted a more practical approach of using the "S" suffix to denote a model that was "Special" or Sonder in German. The figurative use of the word in commerce is to denote a product that is more upmarket than the parent version.
Early usage of the S suffix was applied liberally, for example the 1949-51 170S denoted a W136 car with a more modern chassis and larger body in both sedan can cabriolet types, as opposed to the regular W136 170V and 170D. After 1951, the 170S became the W191 chassis code, as a sedan in petrol and 170DS diesel version. In 1953 a hybrid 170S-D and 170S-V became the discount models in the marque's lineup until 1955. This illustrates a how flagship model will make the transition to an entry model in space of just four years. Elsewhere the S could be applied to denote a separate bodystyle, like the top range two door W188 300S opposed to the W186 300 limousine. In other times it would be applied to differentiate a facelifted model, as was the case with the W180 220 gaining the S suffix in 1986.
A more or less consisted application came about in the 1968 upon the launch of the /8 series, when the S-labelled cars now had their own bodies, chassis and powertrains. This was formalised in 1972 when Mercedes-Benz officially branded its premiere range as the Sonderklasse that included the new W116 sedans and the W107 two door coupes and roadsters. Whilst over the following two decades, the S-Class became an established brand, the nomenclature continued to come under increasing pressure in the 1980s in the unnamed 'standard' range which not only included the predecessors of the E-class, but also the compact W201 sedan, restricted to just the 190 series from 1982 and the W463 off-road G-wagen that began to be sold through regular Mercedes-Benz dealers in 1989. (As opposed to the commercially sold W460 and W461). The belonging of the SL roadster in the S-Class was also questionable, particularly after the launch of the R129 model, which shared many chassis elements with the standard range W124.
The launch of the W201 successor, the W202 in spring of 1993 ultimately forced Mercedes-Benz to completely review the branding of its cars. The W202, unlike the W201, which envisioned to appeal to the younger generation, had more restrained contours to be marketed as a compact sedan, with a range of engines. For this a third, entry level, Compact, or C-Class was created, and to avoid confusion with the existing nomenclature, where C suffix denoted a Coupe body, a prefix was used instead, e.g. C 220. The clientele took the notion well, and in summer of 1993 Mercedes-Benz had the rest of the products undergo a major re-branding into set classes, which were de-facto already in existence: the G-Class, the SL-Class and the newly created E-Class, where the E prefix, was taken for the most commonly used Einspritz, or fuel injection models. (Mercedes Benz withdrew the last carburettors three years prior).
For the W140 S-Class in production this was limited to a formal re-badging, where attributes such as the fuel system, wheelbase and body style were abandoned. Extra information was sometimes affixed to the right-hand side of boot/trunk, denoting the diesel version (TURBODIESEL or later CDI), hybrid version (HYBRID), all-wheel-drive version (4MATIC), AMG or MAYBACH model. The second revision in 2015 allows the suffixes such as d (diesel), e (plug-in hybrid), and the h (mild hybrid) for several years before h was dropped. For 2018 model year, the model designation AMG and MAYBACH labels switched their position to the left.
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Mercedes-Benz S-Class
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class, formerly known as "special class" (German: "Sonderklasse", abbreviated as "S-Klasse"), is a series of full-sized luxury sedans and coupés produced by the German automaker Mercedes-Benz. The S-Class is the designation for top-of-the-line Mercedes-Benz models and was officially introduced in 1972 with the W116, and has remained in use ever since. The S-Class is the flagship vehicle for Mercedes-Benz, being positioned above the other Mercedes-Benz models.
The S-Class has debuted many of the company's latest innovations, including drivetrain technologies, interior features, and safety systems (such as the first seatbelt pretensioners). The S-Class has ranked as the world's best-selling luxury sedan. In automotive terms, Sonderklasse refers to "a specially outfitted car." Although used colloquially for decades,[citation needed] following its official application in 1972, six generations of officially named S-Klasse sedans have been produced.
In 1981, the two-door, four-seat S-Class, designated as SEC, was introduced, sharing the petrol V8 engines with its four-door version, W126. After the introduction of a new nomenclature scheme, SEC was simply renamed as S-Class Coupé. For the 1996 model year, the coupé was separated from the S-Class line and named as new CL-Class (in line with other two-door models: CLK, SL, and SLK); however, the CL-Class was reintegrated into the S-Class model line (same with CLK becoming E-Class Coupé and Cabriolet). The first-ever S-Class convertible since 1972, internally named A217, was introduced and became a one-generation model only. After the end of W222 production in 2020, the successors to the C217 coupé and A217 convertible are not planned, citing the low demand for those models and stronger demand for SUV models.
Pre-World War II Mercedes-Benz followed a nomenclature scheme by which each model would have its own numeric code, tied to the displacement of its engine. The logic was that the bigger the displacement, the more prestigious the car will be. This overall scheme was kept in the postwar time, however as the tooling and production facilities were much more limited, Mercedes-Benz adopted a more practical approach of using the "S" suffix to denote a model that was "Special" or Sonder in German. The figurative use of the word in commerce is to denote a product that is more upmarket than the parent version.
Early usage of the S suffix was applied liberally, for example the 1949-51 170S denoted a W136 car with a more modern chassis and larger body in both sedan can cabriolet types, as opposed to the regular W136 170V and 170D. After 1951, the 170S became the W191 chassis code, as a sedan in petrol and 170DS diesel version. In 1953 a hybrid 170S-D and 170S-V became the discount models in the marque's lineup until 1955. This illustrates a how flagship model will make the transition to an entry model in space of just four years. Elsewhere the S could be applied to denote a separate bodystyle, like the top range two door W188 300S opposed to the W186 300 limousine. In other times it would be applied to differentiate a facelifted model, as was the case with the W180 220 gaining the S suffix in 1986.
A more or less consisted application came about in the 1968 upon the launch of the /8 series, when the S-labelled cars now had their own bodies, chassis and powertrains. This was formalised in 1972 when Mercedes-Benz officially branded its premiere range as the Sonderklasse that included the new W116 sedans and the W107 two door coupes and roadsters. Whilst over the following two decades, the S-Class became an established brand, the nomenclature continued to come under increasing pressure in the 1980s in the unnamed 'standard' range which not only included the predecessors of the E-class, but also the compact W201 sedan, restricted to just the 190 series from 1982 and the W463 off-road G-wagen that began to be sold through regular Mercedes-Benz dealers in 1989. (As opposed to the commercially sold W460 and W461). The belonging of the SL roadster in the S-Class was also questionable, particularly after the launch of the R129 model, which shared many chassis elements with the standard range W124.
The launch of the W201 successor, the W202 in spring of 1993 ultimately forced Mercedes-Benz to completely review the branding of its cars. The W202, unlike the W201, which envisioned to appeal to the younger generation, had more restrained contours to be marketed as a compact sedan, with a range of engines. For this a third, entry level, Compact, or C-Class was created, and to avoid confusion with the existing nomenclature, where C suffix denoted a Coupe body, a prefix was used instead, e.g. C 220. The clientele took the notion well, and in summer of 1993 Mercedes-Benz had the rest of the products undergo a major re-branding into set classes, which were de-facto already in existence: the G-Class, the SL-Class and the newly created E-Class, where the E prefix, was taken for the most commonly used Einspritz, or fuel injection models. (Mercedes Benz withdrew the last carburettors three years prior).
For the W140 S-Class in production this was limited to a formal re-badging, where attributes such as the fuel system, wheelbase and body style were abandoned. Extra information was sometimes affixed to the right-hand side of boot/trunk, denoting the diesel version (TURBODIESEL or later CDI), hybrid version (HYBRID), all-wheel-drive version (4MATIC), AMG or MAYBACH model. The second revision in 2015 allows the suffixes such as d (diesel), e (plug-in hybrid), and the h (mild hybrid) for several years before h was dropped. For 2018 model year, the model designation AMG and MAYBACH labels switched their position to the left.
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