MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
Even though almost 30 models make up today’s Mercedes-Benz portfolio in the U.S., the launch of an all-new S-Class is still a defining moment for Germany’s most successful premium automaker. Mercedes SUVs, particularly the GLE and GLC families, have become the brand’s volume sellers, but an S-Class is still meant to be nothing less than a statement of engineering excellence and technical expertise that underpins the very credibility of the three-pointed star. The mission statement for the 2021 S-Class is thus crystal clear.
The 2021 S-Class, code-named W223, is built on a new platform known internally as MRA2. Effectively an evolution of the current car’s underpinnings, MRA2 has been reworked to package a new rear-steer axle and a larger battery for plug-in hybrid versions of the car. Compared with the outgoing long-wheelbase W222 S-Class, the distance between the front and rear axles has been increased by 2.0 inches to 126.6. Overall length has grown 1.3 inches to 208.2, width has gone up by 2.1
