Mercedes S 500 L Amg Line

Now that might seem like an odd place to start when reviewing a luxury car which can cost as much as a small house in York.

But in many ways the lights switch is what the S-Class has always been about. It’s groundbreaking and continues to innovate.

It is, in fact, the first vehicle in more than 100 years to not contain a single light bulb, with LED technology being employed throughout the car.

It’s also the first car in the world to detect and deal with bumps on the road ahead with the optional magic body control system.

Unevenness in the road surface is monitored by the stereo multipurpose camera, which then adapts the suspension in advance, reducing the impact of bumps and dips.

This translates to an an incredibly smooth ride, prompting What Car?

magazine to comment recently: “We expected the new Mercedes SClass to be good, but even we didn’t expect it to set a totally new standard by which all other luxury cars are judged.”

In eight years, the S-Class has won the accolade of What Car?

Best Luxury Car seven times and this year it came as no surprise to see it voted the best yet again.

The latest S-Class is lighter, more efficient, cleaner, safer and packed with even more technology than its award-winning predecessor.

The S 350 BlueTEC - the sole engine in the S-Class range - returns 45.6 mpg, according to official fuel consumption figures, while emitting 154 g/km of CO2, and is available from £62,650.

Even with an entry-level price tag like that, only a lucky few will get to drive - or be carried - in an S Class, but I could not help thinking this was value for money for such a masterpiece of engineering, technology and design.

The full model line-up will be complete later this year when the S 300 BlueTEC Hybrid, the innovative S 500 Plug-in Hybrid and the range topping S 65 AMG join the S 350 BlueTEC, S 500, S 400 Hybrid and S 63 AMG.

The beefy S 500L AMG was my pick of three models tested - along with the crushing S63 AMG and eco-friendlier S400 Hybrid - because of its balance between exquisite ride quality and a bucketload of power.

The high performance S63 AMG seemed almost at odds with the experience of being wafted and cossetted in near-silence, while the hybrid will certainly tempt buyers looking for better economy and eco credentials.

There are four or five seats in the S-Class, depending on how you specify it, but really there might as well just be two: the driver’s and a rear seat, where many a wealthy owner is destined to sit over the next few years.

Within a few seconds of sinking into the seats - whether front or rear - and taking in your surroundings, you are very aware of being in a very special place.

The seats offer a comprehensive array of adjustments. The seat base extends for more thigh support, the side bolsters fold in to hug you more tightly, the pneumatic lumbar support adjusts both for size and height up your back, and the shoulders can fold forwards to give more support or backwards to allow a more relaxed pose.

These extras are on top of the obvious forward, backward, up, down and headrest adjustments.

Naturally, the leather is also soft, rich and beautifully finished, just like the matching hide covering the dashboard and doors.

Not only can you sit very comfortably, you can also fill your nostrils with your favourite perfume via a dispenser activated through the dashboard display. Chanel No 5, I think.

Talking of the dashboard, If you’re sitting up front you can take advantage of two huge digital displays. No analogue speedometer or rev counter dials here; just two 12-inch screens. The screens can display a number of different views to suit the task in hand, and there seems an endless choice.

As your jaw continues to drop, you then begin to take in the safety features, like seatbelt buckles that automatically pre-tension when the car senses an unavoidable accident - no matter what direction the impact is going to arrive from.

Arguably the most impressive development is the Stop&Go Pilot, which is a new sub-system within the Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control. Essentially, in a traffic jam the S-Class can independently stop and go with the traffic, keeping itself in its lane even around corners.

This is one of very few cars in which I have opted to occupy a back seat as part of the road test.

In four-seat guise (which must be the preferable option), there’s bags of room and lots of toys to be found. The optional reclining seat allows you to relax in business class style; feet up and head back on an exquisitely soft headrest pillow, while the plush and shapely seat is as adjustable as those in fronts and, include six massage functions, two of which are heated. Seat heating and ventilation are yours if you want them, as are heated and chilled drinks holders.

Don’t forget heated door panels and armrests too, so your arms aren’t left out in the cold. And we still haven’t got to the infotainment screens mounted on the back of the front seats, allowing internet access, media playback and control for the entire car’s systems via a remote control. Oh, and there are side and back curtains to shut out the world completely.

More than ever the S-Class is defined by its advanced technology, some of which goes into the ride. Air suspension is standard, even before you add the magic body control option.

This is a car that’s highly customisable to suit individual tastes, and at the top of the range with AMG specification and plenty of options the buyer will get little change from £140,000. But you not only get a lot for your money, you also get the very best.

Fact file

Mercedes S 500 L Amg Line

PRICE: From £88,130

ENGINE: 4.7-litre V8 petrol producing 455bhp

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed automatic driving the rear wheels

PERFORMANCE: Top speed 155mph (limited), 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds

ECONOMY: 31.7 mpg combined

CO2 RATING: 207g/km