Indeed, the new generation of Mercedes-Benz S-Class is equipped with many leading technologies, such as digital? Lighting headlights, MBUX intelligent human-computer interaction system, fully active E-ACTIVE? Body? Control suspension, L3 driver assistance system, rear front airbag ...
Just as Chairman of Daimler Group Kang Song Lin (Ola? k？ Llenius) said, "When designing these new products, our first consideration is to face the future, not to stick to the past. Innovation and trying new things have become a unique existence and benchmark at this level. "
Reports on the new generation of Mercedes-Benz S-Class have been overwhelming on the Internet, and I don't intend to analyze them today. I want to talk to you about the eighth generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W220) and the complicated story behind it. Only by deeply understanding the "antecedents" of W220 can we better understand the development course and future development direction of Mercedes-Benz S-Class in the past 20 years.
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The Great Changes of Daimler and the Birth of W220
From the late 1980s to the early 1990s, Daimler-Benz was the CEO? Edzad? Reuters tried to turn Daimler into a global technology company through crazy acquisition, and its acquisition enterprises involved in aerospace, defense industry, electronic technology, railway transportation, financial services, household appliances, software and so on. At that time, The New York Times described Edzard like this? Reuters's series of actions are "buying frenzy".
Edzad? Reuters is not an automobile engineer, has no engineer thinking, and is not as conservative as others; His only interest in Daimler's automobile division is that Mercedes-Benz automobile business can provide it with a steady stream of funds to pay for its expanding "empire". However, in the early 1990s, the economic recession contained Edzard? Reuters's expansion plan, Daimler also suffered losses.
This forced Daimler to focus on the automobile business, and the benchmark series S-class of Mercedes-Benz products became the top priority.
At the same time, personal computers and the Internet have also begun to rise around the world. Many industries, including automobile industry, have realized the value of new technology, and automobile technology based on chip technology has become a means to create brand differences and obtain higher profits.
At that time, Dieter Dieter dieter zetsche (Dieter? Dieter zetsche) thinks that if the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W220) wants to succeed, it must have "lower fuel consumption, more space, higher safety, lighter weight and better performance ... In short, it must lead its competitors with breakthrough technology and reduce manufacturing costs."
At that time, dieter zetsche's team launched the world's first keyless start car (KEYLESS-GO keyless start system) and the radar-based cruise control system DISTRONIC；; At the same time, it was decided to introduce the cockpit management and data system COMAND, the voice control system with GPS function and the active body control suspension into the W220. W220 has obtained 340 patents in the whole research and development process, including 40 electronic control units, which need three independent optical fiber tubes for communication. At that time, some insiders commented that "the technical content of W220 is four orders of magnitude higher than that of the previous generation."
In addition, the eighth generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W220) is also aimed at the new millennium. In addition to integrating many advanced technologies, design also needs to cater to the aesthetics of consumers in the new Millennium.
In the eyes of many domestic consumers, the seventh-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W 140) is sedate, atmospheric and classic in design, and is very popular among the rich in China. Therefore, the seventh-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class is affectionately called "Tiger Head Running" by China consumers. However, foreigners do not think so. Many foreign friends think that the lines of the eighth generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class are tough, just like Schwarzenegger's muscles. James tyler (James? Taylor) said in his book "Mercedes-Benz 1972-20 13 S Class Car" that W 140 is too big, too heavy and too grandiose.
As a result, the eighth generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class changed its previous design style in the design process and moved towards agility, sensibility and elegance. This agile feeling is quite different from the sedate style of the previous generation, and domestic consumers also call the new S-class "butterfly running".
Today, when we see the W22 1 and W222 being produced, you will vaguely see that they all have the design elements of W220. For Mercedes-Benz S-Class, the outline, the ratio of waistline to engine compartment and the ratio of passenger compartment to trunk are the keys to its success for many years. The change of W220 represents that the buyers of luxury cars around the world are getting younger and younger. Young buyers hope to be different from the previous S-class owners, and hope that the S-class can be more sporty and dynamic, rather than too conservative. Therefore, the trend of younger appearance has been retained by Mercedes-Benz designers.
Although the scientific and younger configuration seems to be a trend, it was a bold decision in the 1990s, especially when Daimler was at home and abroad. 1995, Daimler's board of directors approved the final design of W220.
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Worst W220
W220 has a high technical content. To master it completely, even the master needs to study deeply. When the eighth generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class is delivered to consumers, it comes with three user manuals, one about cars, one about COMAND and one about how to use the telephone system.
At the same time, due to the use of a large number of advanced technologies, W200 has many product problems, such as the failure of the active body control system or the rupture of the hydraulic pump, which will lead to the permanent tilting of the body; COMAND system modules frequently fail and need to be replaced frequently; There are many problems in the audio system, and these electronic devices are easy to run out of battery power; Frequent bumps in the car body will also damage the optical fiber system of the car body; The crankshaft position of the W220 engine even has a sensor, which will refuse to start when the car is overheated. ...
Some North American car owners commented, "In the first two years of using this car, the maintenance cost alone will be $65,438+0,000." Consumer reports (consumers? Reports) rated the reliability of W220 as "poor" and called it one of the "most unreliable luxury cars". 1990, Mercedes-Benz in J.D.? Power? & amp？ The affiliated company won the first place in automobile reliability research; By 2003, the company ranked 27th, even behind Jaguar.
Despite all kinds of problems, Mercedes-Benz still insists on giving S-class more scientific and technological attributes. On the W220, Mercedes-Benz used technologies that it can be proud of today: COMAND navigation system, Pre-Safe preventive safety system, DISTRONI distance control system, AIRMATIC air suspension and adaptive damping system, and active body control system.
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More scientific and technological W223
Starting from W220, Mercedes-Benz has defined the development direction of S-Class cars, and the 1 1 generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W223) continues to move in this direction. It is worth noting that W223 was also developed under the leadership of dieter zetsche.
From the data point of view, W223 also integrates many "black technologies", including DIGITAL? Head-up display of headlight system, active body control system, rear wheel steering, automatic driving and driver assistance system, MBUX human-computer interaction system, augmented reality technology? Rear front airbag ...
Like digital? Lights and headlights have become smarter. There are four light sources on each headlight, and each light source has 1024? Gold? LED？ The chip can adjust the irradiation range according to the navigation information; At the same time, its light source resolution reaches 6.5438+0.3 million pixels, which can be turned into high-definition projection to project traffic signs and other patterns forward. The difference rate of each light can reach 2.6 million pixels. Theoretically, this headlight can already play movies.
Secondly, in the event of a side collision threat, the fully active E-ACTIVE equipped with the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class? Body? Controlling the suspension can lift the car body by 80 mm in a few tenths of a second, which reduces the load on the door structure, the deformation of the car body and the load acting on passengers.
In addition, the interior of the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is more digital and intelligent. The five screens include visual recognition, fingerprint recognition, voice control, gesture control and other functions. MBUX human-computer interaction system will automatically identify and adjust according to your eyes. The LCD dashboard in front of the driver has the naked-eye 3D effect, and the real 3D effect can be achieved without wearing 3D glasses.
The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class innovatively uses forward airbags in the back row, which can protect the passengers in the back row, thus making the new S-Class sedan safer than before. In addition, the new active ambient lighting system uses innovative lighting signals to illuminate everything around and improve safety by warning you of any danger. The environmental light is linked with the safety configuration, and turns into a red warning when there is danger.
It is understood that the new generation of Mercedes-Benz S-Class will be released in Europe in February 65438, and will be listed in the United States and China in February 20265438.
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