2007 Mercedes S550 4MATIC First Impressions

The ultimate way to get around

Mercedes-Benz flagship : the S-Class.

Lake Placid, New York - In the ultra-high stakes game of super premium cars, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class is often regarded as the one to have. From a purely historical stand-point, the brand savours an incredible pedigree for performance, technological advances and the highest level of luxury. Last year's arrival of the new 2007 redesigned flagship brought a new V8 engine and just recently, a thoroughly revised 4MATIC AWD system.

Under the bonnet of the 2007 S550 4MATIC is a DOHC 32-valve 5.5L V8. It churns out 382 hp and 391 lb/ft of torque. With the 7-speed 7G-Tronic automatic transmission and Mercedes' newly revised 4MATIC AWD system, the S-Class can launch to 100 km/h in a few ticks under 6 seconds.

The S550 4MATIC is an incredible way to get moving. The powerful V8 ensures that their will always be enough grunt to overtake or out-accelerate. Its velvety smoothness combined with gobs of torque makes short work of a road trip. The addition of the 4MATIC AWD system is the icing on the cake; it is invisible to the senses. The added although limited weight does not hamper performance and only minutely affects fuel consumption. The 45/55 front/rear split ensures ultimate stability in any circumstance.

4MATIC should be popular in the northern States and Canada

Because of the un-winter-like conditions in Lake Placid, it was difficult to evaluate the efficiency and prowesses of 4MATIC. We did take the car to a small off-road course. It consisted of an abrupt drop followed by a number of turns and elevation changes. By the time we got to the area, the sand and mud surface was frozen solid and really represented nothing more of a challenge than a trip to the local grocery store to the S.

On the twisty Adirondack roads, the big car belies its formidable size with nimbleness dreamt of by cars half its size. The S-Class' steering starts out light but quickly weighs up to provide proper assistance for negotiating mountain roads. The brakes perform admirably well but suffer from the same lack of communication as other Benzes.

The S-Class will entice the senses of those looking for optimal traction and luxury. Mercedes is aware that the number of takers for the AWD system will vary wildly from one region to another. In Florida, they expect that 1 in 10 S-Classes will be AWD whereas in the Northern United States and many parts of Canada, 1 in 2 will be 4MATIC.

The S550 4MATIC's base price is of $122,000.


Photo Credit : Mathieu St-Pierre