T

he New Generation of Germany origin Mercedes-Benz S 500 L, which was launched in Jakarta several days ago, drew much attention from car enthusiasts.

Many had dreamed of driving the new model, including me, as we were curious to know how the car handles at low or high speed, as well as in heavy traffic, etc. The locally produced car priced at Rp 2.6 billion must have strengths that not all cars in the luxury class have.

The dream of driving the new model came true when Mercedes-Benz Indonesia invited The Jakarta Post to test drive one. I asked a colleague along for the ride because I was not only keen to drive an S 500 L but also to experience being a passenger in one. In this way, I could gain complete experience in being a driver and a rear passenger of an S 500 L!

Before setting out, we checked out the car's interior. I eagerly jumped into the driver's seat while my colleague sat in the front passenger's seat. Straight away I could feel the comfort of sitting in the front of an S 500 L. We adjusted the seats to our personal comfort requirements by using the electronic feature that made it possible.

Then, I moved to the rear seat. Amazing! The back of the interior was roomy, allowing me to stretch out my long legs. I gave a contented sigh and relaxed in the back seat. It was coming home to me that the new series of Mercedes-Benz S 500 L has been truly designed for passengers' comfort.

The interior appears to be even more spacious because the S 500 L is equipped with a Panoramic sunroof. At the push of a button, the Panoramic sunroof slid open effortlessly, with the front part of the roof moving to the back and letting in a breeze.

The car is also equipped with automatic climate control, a feature that enables driver and passengers to adjust the temperature and the speed of AC blower on each side to their liking.

After checking out the interior, which really amazed us, it was time for the actual test drive. All of a sudden, an idea struck me. "How about driving the S 500 L along a damaged road?" I asked my colleague.

"OK. Let's se how it works," he answered.

And so we took the severely damaged Jl. Taman Ratu in Jakarta. Surprisingly, the ride was comfortable despite the many potholes on the road. Thanks to the improved air suspension system AIRMATIC, bad road conditions pass under the car practically unnoticed and do not affect the comfort of passengers inside.

During the journey, my colleague driving the car switched on the SPLITVIEW Command on LCD to play a movie. In other cars, when someone in the front passenger seat switches on the TV it could distract the driver, but this does not occur with the S 500 L. With the SPLITVIEW Command system, the passenger can watch a movie without distracting the driver because the system lets the driver keep an eye on the GPS while the front passenger simultaneously watches a DVD. This is indeed one of the strengths of the S 500 L.

To experience the exemplary comfort of the car, I had asked my colleague to drive the car so I could sit in the back. With my legs stretched out, I trained my eyes on RSE (Rear Seat Entertainment). The RSE takes the form of a TV, installed in the back of the front seat, allowing me to watch programs in full comfort.

Suddenly, my colleague reduced speed as he spotted a severe traffic jam up ahead. We edged along slowly, but it was no problem because I could enjoy myself watching TV with a high quality picture, and therefore the stress and impatience that would normally beset me in a traffic jam did not appear.

Watching TV was not the only car entertainment that we had during the journey as there was also music. Listening to music in an S 500 L is really an enjoyable experience. The sound quality is incredible! The model is equipped with a top audio system, Harman Kardon. With a Harman Kardon audio system, listening to music in the S 500 L left me awestruck because the car audio system produced clear and undistorted sounds.

After focusing on the comfort of the car, it was time to examine the capability of the engine and handling from inside the car. We stopped to allow me to move to the driver's seat. The new eight cylinder, 5,461 cc engine was incredible! I floored the gas pedal and the car ran fast on the toll road in the evening. Pressing the car to 100 km/hour, the S 500 L made it in 5.4 seconds, just as the company claims. It took only about 40 minutes to circle the inner-city toll road.