11 Sep 07
The F700 'research car' previews Mercedes-Benz's current thinking on how to replace a car as good as the S-Class - and it's a lot more radical under its gold-painted skin than it looks at first.
It aims to take ride comfort to a new level by anticipating the condition of the road and levelling out any unevenness using an active hydraulic suspension system called Pre-Scan. Laser scanners in the headlamps check out the road ahead and set the dampers accordingly. The 5.17m-long F700 also showcases developments in reduction of road noise and tyre vibration.
It's not all about comfort, though: this large luxury car is powered by a relatively tiny 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine which returns 53.3mpg and just 127g/km of carbon dioxide. That's very clean and economical for a car in this class, yet still capable of performance similar to that of the current S-Class with a 3.5 V6 petrol or 3.0 V6 diesel engine. Power output of the engine is 238bhp, with an electric motor adding a further 20bhp, and maximum torque is around 295lb-ft. Top speed is limited to 125mph, but 0-62mph comes up in a very respectable 7.5 seconds.
The F700 achieves this with Mercedes' DiesOtto technology, which combines spark-ignition with diesel-style compression, direct injection and turbocharging. A hybrid-style starter-generator with stop-start capability gives further fuel savings.
'Our goal is to make the gasoline-powered car just as economical in consumption as the diesel,' says research and development chief Dr Thomas Weber. 'The new DiesOtto concept is a major step in that direction, combining the best properties of the spark-ignition engine and the diesel engine.'
Further new features of the F700 include a simplified control menu called Servo-HMI. An update on the Comand system, it incorporates a voice-activated 'virtual assistant', though more users will probably welcome the reduction in the number of options. There are also mirror-projected displays, easier on the eye than conventional read-outs.
The F700 is a little shorter than the current long-wheelbase S-Class at 5.18m long, but has a much longer wheelbase of 3.45m. It looks a lot like the S, but has more flowing curves, bearing some resemblance to the CLS.
Mercedes is exploring new possibilities in cabin design with a seating layout called Reverse: basically, the option to swivel individual seats so rear-seat passengers can sit facing the back, giving more legroom in a reclined seat position and the chance to watch a 51cm movie screen, if the front passenger seat is unoccupied. For easier access to the back, the right-hand rear door is rear hinged.
Check out the rest of our Frankfurt Motor Show coverage
