Given that it’s an S-Class, there is a solid chance that the owners would spend 100 per cent of their time in the back rather than the driver’s seat. So let’s take you through the proper S-Class experience that can only be felt at the back. Stepping inside is an experience by itself. You are greeted with expensive leather, wood and extremely well-polished metal surfaces. Business-class seating is perhaps the best term that anyone can use to describe sitting in the back of an S-Class. Now, you are cocooned in glory and have a wide variety of gadgets at your disposal to make your journey as comfortable as possible.

In terms of rear seat comfort, it goes without saying that even exceptionally tall people would be comfortable spending hours in here – the cushioning is comparable to that of a posh sofa and because the wheelbase stretches over 3200mm, there is tremendous amount of legroom and the overall sense of space is immense.  Now the left rear seat also has the option of stretching out completely, but that’s at the cost of the front passenger accommodation. Let me explain. So you have something called as the chauffeur package which allows the front passenger seat to completely move forward including its headrest which can folded down flat. It will also pop out the rear seat footrest and recline the backrest for you so that you can be seated in absolute comfort and probably fall asleep in no time. But I have to say that this entire arrangement takes its own sweet time. It’s a good thing then that one can resort to one of the many, many features here at the back while the seats get adjusted.

The new S-Class gets two engine options for India. So there’s the S450 petrol and the S350d and given that diesel is still the more popular choice among limousine buyers, we decided to have the S350d for the review. Now, this three-litre, in-line six cylinder motor is no regular diesel engine. It is in fact the most powerful diesel engine from Mercedes Benz yet, although, when compared to the fully imported and now discontinued S400d, power is down from 330bhp to 286bhp for the locally assembled S350d. The torque output is also down from 700Nm to 600Nm. The 350d version also misses out on all-wheel drive and rear wheel steering and while we are completely okay with not having AWD, we did miss rear wheel steering while getting in and out of parking or navigating through crowded areas.

As with all the generations of the S Class, this car’s strength lies in the ability to completely isolate you from what’s going around you. This diesel engine for instance, it’s so quiet and refined that you don’t hear it for the most part. It’s only when you go anywhere above part throttle that you’ll hear it working.  Compared to the fully imported and now discontinued S400d, power is down from 330bhp to 286bhp for the locally assembled S350d. The torque output is also down from 700Nm to 600Nm. The 350d version also misses out on all-wheel drive and rear wheel steering and while we are completely okay with not having AWD, we did miss rear wheel steering while getting in and out of parking or navigating through crowded areas.

The new S-Class is all the things we have always loved about the flagship sedan from Mercedes. Yes, its appearance may divide opinions and over time it’s gotten quite expensive as well but then so have all its rivals. And let’s be honest, in many key areas like rear seat experience, brand value and technology, it is still the most affluent of them all. This new W223 generation offers performance and composure in equal measures and as far as I am concerned, it is undoubtedly the most comfortable and classy set of wheels that one can buy for under Rs 2 crore.