In a move that comes as a surprise to no one, the editors of the British automobile magazine What Car? have named the Mercedes S-Class their choice for 2006's best luxury car.

Here's what David Motton of What Car? had to say: "The new model won a rare five-star What Car? rating, obliterating strong opposition and rewriting one or two rules along the way. At a stroke, it has become the best luxury car on sale.  Our chosen S 500 provides effortless performance and is supremely refined. The S-Class isn’t merely a technological tour de force. It’s a perfect example of machines making our lives easier – and a lot more comfortable. Now that’s real luxury."

Although I tend to agree with what Motton said, there is one thing I find a little odd - on the What Car? website, the S-Class received four stars, not five.  I'm guessing the editor's re-rated the cars for the awards, but I still think it's strange the two don't match up.  Either way, the S-Class is currently the world's premier luxury sedan, and I'm sure it will receive plenty more awards over the next few months backing up my sentiment.

For more info on the What Car? award, you can check out the full press release below.


OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE


British motoring magazine What Car? Awards honour luxury saloon: New S-Class voted 2006’s Best Luxury Car

London, Jan 20, 2006

The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class has been heralded as 2006’s Best Luxury Car by respected motoring magazine What Car? The new S-Class combines state-of-the-art technology with effortless performance and peerless refinement. It’s a view that helped the experts at What Car? reach their verdict: “When Mercedes-Benz launches a new S-Class the rest of the world gasps in amazement;” explained David Motton, Editor of What Car? magazine.

“The new model won a rare five-star What Car? rating, obliterating strong opposition and rewriting one or two rules along the way. At a stroke, it has become the best luxury car on sale.” David Motton concluded: “Our chosen S 500 provides effortless performance and is supremely refined. The S-Class isn’t merely a technological tour de force. It’s a perfect example of machines making our lives easier – and a lot more comfortable. Now that’s real luxury.”

At a ceremony at Grosvenor House in Park Lane, London, the Best Luxury Car trophy was presented to Hans-Dieter Multhaupt - DaimlerChrysler’s Vice President Program Management and Development S-Class, SL-Class; SLK-Class and Maybach. Mr Multhaupt said: “It is a real honour to receive such a prestigious award for our new model. It is always a challenge to replace a motoring icon as widely respected as the S-Class, but throughout the development phase our engineers were confident that the latest car would quickly establish itself as a proud successor to previous generations. The S-Class has always pioneered new technologies and new levels of luxury, and with safety innovations like night view assist, Brake Assist PLUS and DISTRONIC PLUS we have once again taken a significant step forward.”

The new S-Class looks set to become the new benchmark for luxury motoring. With its wealth of innovations– including Brake Assist PLUS, enhanced COMAND, PRE-SAFE® and upgraded dynamic multi-contour seats with a choice of massage options – S-Class customers can look forward to driving the technology of tomorrow in the car of today.


Copyright © 2006, DaimlerChrysler AG