Mercedes-Benz S-Class

The 2022 Mercedes-Benz S 580 L adds another variant to the already hard-to-choose-between family of S-Class sedans currently available in Australia. With a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 under its bonnet, the S 580 L is a limo for people that prefer to be the driver, not the driven.

Australians love V8 engines, and we love driving, which runs somewhat counterintuitive to the point of a more than $300K German limo with rear seats that rival those found in an intercontinental business class flight. And yet, Mercedes-Benz has made a car that suits those needs without compromising on staunch, well established S-Class heritage.

The price of admission is steep, with the first V8 S-Class of the W223 generation priced at $329,900 before on-road costs. What you get for that coin, though, is as extensive as the S-Class is legendary.

We’ll start with the engine, which is a variant of the 4.0-litre twin-turbo bent eight found in a number of Mercedes and AMG products. In the S-Class it is tuned for luxury, not performance, but that doesn’t stop it producing a muscular 370kW and 700Nm.

The V8 engine is also mated to Mercedes-Benz’s EQ Boost 48-volt mild-hybrid system, which is quickly becoming ubiquitous and offers genuine improvements in useability and refinement.

We’ve had positive experiences with EQ Boost in terms of improving fuel economy in long term loans, however, our exposure to the S 580 L wasn’t quite long enough to make an assessment in this use case.

EQ Boost uses an electric starter motor-generator to add 15kW and 200Nm to the engine’s outputs for short intervals, while also offering one of the smoothest and least intrusive start-stop systems currently on the market.

Power is sent to all four wheels via a nine-speed automatic transmission. Gear shifts are buttery smooth, and if it weren’t for the gear indicator displaying the change in ratio, the S 580 L’s occupants would be none the wiser to most of the changes.

The only stumble from the gearbox during our drive was a faltering when pressing the throttle for the first time after an off-throttle deceleration. Initial pick-up at slow speeds while rolling prompted a small shudder as the transmission hurriedly adjusted gears. It’s a nit-pick, but when the level of expectation sits somewhere in the stratosphere, even small missteps are worth noting.

If you don’t pay incredibly close attention, most who find themselves cosseted by the S-Class’s incredibly comfortable interior will be entirely unaware of the V8 that propels the limo forward. There’s no aggressive flare of revs on start-up, no rocking and rumble at idle – that would be far too uncouth. Instead, this powerhouse V8 is so incredibly refined as to border on unbelievable.

So innocuous is its calibration that while driving you only really detect its eight-cylinder audio signature under hard acceleration. While there is an extra push in your lower back, there isn’t a noticeable difference in terms of driving experience compared to the six-cylinder S-Class. Why pick the V8? Well, because you can.

You pick the V8 because it also makes this two-tonne limo a quick car. The official acceleration claim is mid four seconds to 100km/h from a standstill. Genuinely fast by any measure. Request a launch from the S 580 L and it remains unfazed, a wave of torque carrying you to the national speed limit in prompt, effortless fashion.

Cruising at highway speeds in the S 580 L is an act in grace and poise, the V8 seemingly only ticking over a touch above idle. Engineered for the autobahn, Australia’s network of highways are a walk in the park for the S-Class.

This is in no small part thanks to the car’s air suspension, which is plush and refined, with the kind of supple waft you mentally associate with a vehicle of this stature. The stately ride’s only significant shortcoming is over larger seams and surface changes, where the S-Class can take just a touch longer to settle than expected.

However, if you add the optional E-Active Body Control this issue is negated. Employing five multi-core processors, more than 20 additional cameras and a stereo camera, E-Active Body Control takes an unseen iron to road imperfections, flattening out everything to barely perceptible movements.

Another highly recommended optional extra for this extended S-Class is rear-wheel steering. It makes parking and manoeuvring this more than five-metre-long vehicle easier than an A-Class. Watching the system work from outside the car is initially confronting, but the way it works is fantastic.

The only body of choice for the S 580 is the long wheelbase, which adds 110mm to the MRA platform’s wheelbase for a total of 3216mm between the wheelarches.

You’d think that something this long and heavy would be a dynamic pitfall, but the S-Class once again subverts expectations. While it isn’t in the car’s remit, you can grab the S 580 L by the scruff of the neck and hustle it down an Aussie back road with surprising pace.

There is a good amount of bite on turn-in, and once the car is settled in the turn, a deep well of grip is to be explored. Steering feedback can be best described as abstract, particularly with the E-Active Body Control. However, the wheel is direct, has an appropriate level of weight, and is bereft of dead zones.

All of that said, let us reiterate that the S 580 L is not designed for this kind of use. But it speaks to Mercedes-Benz’s over-engineering ethos that it remains capable well outside any reasonable usage remit.

Dynamic bolsters in the seat that activate as you go through bends take some getting used to but are a pleasant part of the driving experience. It is an amicable middle ground between having a body-hugging seat with appropriate lateral support for the S 580 L’s surprising dynamic ability, and the kind of plush luxury owners demand.

The list of tech fitted to the S 580 L as standard is extensive. The V8 S-Class features Mercedes-Benz’s latest MBUX operating software, a central 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen infotainment unit with fingerprint scanner, 3D driver’s display, power-assisted door closing, wireless phone integration and charging, and sliding panoramic sunroof.

Hang on a second, we need to catch our breath. There’s also a 15-speaker, 710-watt Burmester 3D sound system that can play your music of choice at window-shaking volumes while retaining crisp clarity, wildly customisable ambient lighting, dual-zone climate control, electronically adjustable heated and cooled front seats, and Nappa leather upholstery.

That’s before we get to the head-up display, which is one of the largest sold in Australia. The amount of information it can display is staggering, with incredible clarity to boot. On a long commute you’d rarely be looking at the digital instruments, such is the ability of the head-up display.

One area where the technology overload struggles is the steering wheel, where haptic buttons are placed instead of physical units. Users will adapt to the quirks of haptic technology in time, but the design gives the wheel a flimsy plastic feel. It tarnishes the experience of this luxurious tour de force somewhat when the major touchpoint for the driver doesn’t match the rest of the car’s fit and finish.

Overall though, the S 580 L is brimming with quality. From the soft-close doors to the down feather pillows on each seat, occupants are treated to a buffet of lavish design and engineering.

You pay for the luxury of owning a Mercedes-Benz S 580 L. But what you gain in return is subtle performance, supreme luxury, and a car that lives up to the lofty expectations of its badge.

Now, will you be driving yourself today, or relaxing in the back?

2022 Mercedes-Benz S 580 L 4Matic specifications