Autos : Check Out The All New 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Benz Ups the Wow Factor

 

No honest man needs a $100,000 luxury sedan, but after learning more about the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class, we're drawn in by the astoundingly long list of new technology offered on the German automaker's latest flagship car. The 2014 Mercedes S-Class sedan has the technology to make even the most jaded luxury consumer take notice, and we can't wait to evaluate everything from the advanced automated parking system to the active perfuming system, and -- oh yeah -- the twin-turbocharged 4.7-liter V-8 with 516 lb-ft of torque.  

The 2014 S550 hits 60 mph in a Mercedes-estimated 4.8 seconds, down from the outgoing all-wheel-drive S550's estimated time of 5.4 seconds. Power is up 26 hp, but more important, the 2014 S550 will make more power than full-size flagship V-8 luxury sedans from BMW, Audi, and Lexus. The S550 still uses a seven-speed automatic transmission, but drag coefficient is down to 0.24 -- 0.02 better than its predecessor and 0.01 better than the 2012 Toyota Prius. While we don't expect significantly improved EPA-rated fuel economy compared to the 2013 S550's 15/24-25 mpg city/highway, the new Mercedes should offer a longer driving range and, like its predecessor, will not be subject to a gas guzzler tax. What may really blow away consumers, though, is the incredible array of new technologies and customization options the 2014 S-Class offers.

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The S-Class has always been the car on which Mercedes introduces new technologies that tend to trickle down not only to less expensive models, but also across the industry. While it's unclear how easy it will be to repair all the 2014 S-Class' newly available technology down the road, the cars' first owners should delight in first-class features everywhere. For starters, loaded S-Class sedans will feature lighting from nearly 500 LEDs, including about 300 LEDs in the interior. The LEDs can be lit in seven colors with five dimming levels and four dimming zones.  

Mercedes is particularly proud of the Magic Body Control system. With help from Road Surface Scan, if the car's stereo camera detects unevenness ahead (like a speed bump), the car can prepare the standard air suspension for the roughness ahead. The automaker calls it the first suspension system with eyes. On the subject of technology with sight, the updated automated parking system can recognize parking spaces nearby. We've seen plenty of parking systems that help drivers parallel park, but are just starting to see systems that can pull into end-on spaces, too. Mercedes claims the S-Class' system can also get the car out of a previously auto-parked space by controlling the steering and brakes.  

As much as we love driving anything with 455 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, we'll gladly take a back seat in the 2014 S-Class. Splurge on the luxury or reclining seat options and the rear seat has what Mercedes says is unrestricted legroom even in the full resting position. (The backrest angle is adjustable up to 43.5 degrees.) Mercedes claims the 2014 S-Class will be the quietest vehicle in its segment, a quality we welcome in all S-Class variants except future AMGs. For Chinese customers who'll never spend a minute behind the wheel of their new S-Class, the back seats can be ordered in a two-passenger configuration with a business center console in the middle. The hot-stone-style massaging seat functions can be ordered on the rear seats. Mercedes consulted physiotherapists and psychologists to develop its massaging seats, which in front have an integrated warming function and six massage programs. Seats with ventilation have four fans in the seat cushion and two fans in the backrest. The S-Class also offers heated armrests, and the rear seat belt buckles only appear when the rear doors are opened.

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Once your chauffeur gets on the highway, he shouldn't have an issue staying in his lane. The latest version of Mercedes' Distronic cruise control works in stop-and-go traffic and can now keep drivers centered in their lane on straightaways and gentle curves, thanks in part to the stereo camera in the front of the car. The camera can recognize lane markings, or, when those aren't clearly discernable in traffic, the vehicle ahead, then apply the appropriate steering torque and stay in the middle of the lane.  

Two 12.3-inch displays keep the driver informed; one is an instrument cluster while the other is the central display screen. While some features may not make it to the U.S.-spec model, the screen can be equipped with Splitview, which shows the driver and passenger different content at the same time. The driver and passenger each get two circular air vents below the central dash screen, and there's no shortage of wood trim. All passengers might benefit from the adjustable active perfuming system, which Mercedes notes will not deposit perfume molecules on fabric surfaces or clothes.  

There's nothing coupe-like about a 206.5-inch four-door sedan, but that hasn't stopped Mercedes from referencing "coupe-style intentions" with the S-Class' revised exterior design. The 2014 S-Class' larger front grille is more upright, and the horizontal strakes stop just short of the chrome frame. From the front or the side, this is a design that current S-Class owners will easily recognize as similar yet different. From behind, a long strip of chrome lines the top of the license plate area and artfully lit LED taillights stretch the length of the car. The rear windshield's upper edges are rounded off for more "coupe-like" appeal, though two-door fans might simply wait for the anticipated CL-replacing S-Class coupe. With so much available safety, comfort, and luxury features, the 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class has more than enough in its technology arsenal to impress anyone who walks into a dealership. We wonder whether more moderately equipped models will have the same effect on drivers, but one thing is clear: The S-Class is back in the front of its class with plenty of wow factor.

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2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
BASE PRICE	$95,000 (est)
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Front-engine, RWD/AWD, 4-5-pass, 4-door sedan
ENGINE	4.7L/455-hp/516-lb-ft twin-turbo DOHC 32-valve 8-cyl
TRANSMISSION	7-speed auto)
CURB WEIGHT	4450 lb (mfr)
WHEELBASE	124.6 in
LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT	206.5 x 74.8 x 58.7 in
0-60 MPH	4.8 sec (mfr est)
EPA CITY/HWY FUEL ECON	16/26-27 mpg (est)
ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY	211/130 kW-hrs/100 miles (est)
CO2 EMISSIONS	0.99-1.30 lb/mile (est)
ON SALE IN U.S.	September, 2013 (RWD); November, 2013 (AWD)

Credit : MotorTrend

Cell Phones : Review - Blackberry Curve Touch 9380

 

Looking like the runt of RIM's newest BlackBerry litter, the Curve Touch 9380 has recently surfaced on a German site starring in its own silent movie. The video, taken by MacBerry.de, shows off the mini-BB handset -- née Orlando / Malibu -- running the company's OS 7 and confirming those NFC-capable rumors. A side-by-side comparison with a full-grown Curve and Storm gives you a true sense of just how wee the portrait QWERTY-less touch device actually is, with its 3.25-inch 480 x 360 HVGA display. The phone, purported to launch this Q4 in both GSM and CDMA versions, isn't going to snag the beast tag anytime soon, but falls in line with earlier reported specs, sporting a respectable 800MHz Qualcomm MSM8655 processor, 5 megapixel camera, 1GB Flash, 512MB RAM, microSD card slot, WiFi and Bluetooth. If you're in the market for a fashionable, Zoolander-approved smartphone, expect to pick up this little rascal on your carrier of choice later this year. 

 

Android 2.3 Gingerbread Review: Better Than Fruitcake

It's hard to believe this is what Android looked like two years ago. It's a testament to how far it's come that Android 2.3 Gingerbread is focused on making it feel good more than anything else.

Specs
Version: Android 2.3
Phones: Nexus S, for now
When you can get it: Over the next couple months
Price: Free update

Android has evolved more aggressively, more rapidly than any other mobile platform. But now it's reached a point of maturity, and you can see that in Gingerbread: The newness in Android 2.3 is all about refinement. Not new features or functions or just stuff. It's Android where Google's slowed down and taken the time to think about how it looks and feels and responds.

The irony, of course, is that most of the careful design work that's gone into Android 2.3 won't ever be seen by a large portion of Android users. The definitive Android design won't be experienced by people who own phones covered in custom software. There's only a handful of Android phones in the US where you'll be able to get the real Android experience—Nexus One, T-Mobile G2 and the Nexus S—even though it's unquestionably better than anything phone makers are conjuring up themselves these days.

The core Android experience is largely unchanged from Android 2.2: Everything works just about the same. What's different? It's smoother, faster, and for the first time, it feels like one person actually designed the Android interface. There are details! The orange glow when you hit the end of a list. The old boob-tube-style shutoff whenever the screen turns off. They're little things, but they add up to a phone that just feels better—even when the occasional rough spot still pops up in Android (and they do). And half the battle with an interface is making it feel great. (This is why, for all its flaws, people dig Windows Phone 7.) The speed improvements over 2.2, while subtle, make a difference. It's the first time Android's really approached iPhone 4-level responsiveness. On the other hand, it's somewhat unreal it's taken over two years to have the finer things in smartphone life on Android.

Speed, speed, speed. Still loving the new hyperflat, orange-and-green-and-black interface after several days—it makes me think of Tron. Things like the Downloads app to collect everything I've downloaded. The new keyboard doesn't make me want to drill my fingers through the glass anymore. Android is still the most connected-feeling mobile OS around, by leaps and bounds. Major components—like Gmail and Maps—are broken up so they can be updated individually instead of having to wait for the next major OS push.

Still a little too confusing and PC-like for some people, even if it does look spiffier. The Market's not much better to dig through. No native video chat! Crazy! Especially considering that Google's got Google Talk and that the new definitive Android device has a front-facing camera. Android media experience is still pretty weak compared to the iPhone, from getting music on there (sorry, drag and drop is not media management) to the better-but-still-mediocre music player (just because I can download WinAmp doesn't excuse Android's native app's suckage).

Android 2.3 is almost exactly where Android needs to be to take the next step: The fundamentals, the vision, the polish (mostly) are there, finally. Now it's time for all of the amazing things Google's promised next.