The facelifted S-Class is now on sale in India and it costs Rs 1.33 crore for the diesel engine S 350d and Rs 1.37 crore for the petrol engine S 450 (all prices, ex-showroom, India). The company has sold around 6,700 S-class sedans in India in the last 18 years. The new car meets Bharat Stage-VI emission norms but can also run on BS-IV grade fuel.
Under the hood is where the major changes are – there’s a new 3.0-litre, in-line, six-cylinder diesel motor. Since it conforms to BS-VI norms, this new OM656 engine emits 68 percent less nitrous oxide and 82 percent less particulate matter when it’s running on BS-IV grade fuel. The engines send power via a nine-speed G-Tronic automatic transmission. This engine makes 286hp and 600Nm of torque, while the S 450 uses a 3.0-litre, V6, petrol engine that makes 367hp and 500Nm. Both versions feature radar-based driver assist features like active distance assist with emergency braking and active steering assist.
There are minor tweaks to the exterior – including new triple-striped LED headlamps, new tail-lamps and subtly re-profiled bumpers. In the cabin, there’s a new, horizontally elongated, 12.3-inch touchscreen unit. There’s also a new leather and wood trim option for the interior inlays and seats sides. What you also get is a new fragrance and 64 ambient lighting options.
BS-VI grade fuel will go on sale in the Delhi-NCR region from April this year and will be made available much later across the country.