The car is brimming with so much active safety technology that it can pretty much drive itself, but giving the S600 full autonomy would rob owners of its greatest feature — its 6-liter, bi-turbo V12 engine. Bigger and more powerful than the V12 that graced the outgoing model — 530 hp, 830 Nm of torque and a 0-62 mph (100kph) time of just 4.6 seconds — yet lighter and more fuel efficient. It will guarantee exactly the right levels of performance on tap at exactly the right time, whatever the prevailing road conditions. The car has a host of systems, from Collision Prevention Assist Plus to Active Lane Keeping Assist that work together to keep the car safe from front and rear-end collisions, to help drivers avoid obstacles, and track the movement of other vehicles around the car. The infotainment system has also been upgraded to feature a new controller that will be immediately familiar and intuitive to anyone who owns a smartphone that uses finger taps, gestures and even handwriting recognition. Or, simply talk and the car will respond to vocal commands. Then there’s the full-color head-up display that projects the car’s speed, and navigation information onto the windshield — directly within the driver’s field of vision to minimize potential distraction.
