The debut of the fourth generation Mercedes-Benz S-class with the factory designation W220 took place in 1998, compared to its predecessor, the steel car is slightly smaller, but noticeably more technologically advanced. Since 2003, the 4Matic all-wheel drive transmission began to be installed on the sedan, and the manual transmission, on the contrary, was excluded from the equipment list.
The production of the model was carried out until 2005, and the total circulation was 485 thousand units.
The "fourth" Mercedes-Benz S-class is a four-door executive sedan, available in short and long wheelbase versions. Vehicle length - from 5042 to 5164 mm, height - 1453 mm, width - 1855 mm, wheelbase - from 2864 to 3086 mm. The curb weight of the "German" varies from 1770 to 1855 kg, depending on the modification.
Under the hood of the Mercedes-Benz W220, V-shaped "six" with a volume of 2.8 to 3.8 liters were installed, producing from 197 to 245 horsepower. The V8 engines had a volume of 4.3 and 5.0 liters, and the power of 279 and 306 "horses", respectively. The top-of-the-line S 600 was powered by a 5.8-liter V12 twin-turbocharged engine with 500 horsepower. There were also turbodiesels with a volume of 3.2 and 4.0 liters with a capacity of 197 to 250 horsepower.
In addition, the "special class" lineup was supplemented with "charged" AMG versions, which sported engines producing from 360 to 612 "horses". Two gearboxes were offered - 5- or 7-band "automatic", rear-wheel drive or full 4Matic.
The fourth generation Mercedes-Benz S-class sedan was the first of the models to get Airmatic air suspension, which has fixed settings for different driving styles by changing the pressure in the shock absorbers. Brakes on all wheels are disc, front - ventilated.
The "fourth" S-class had a number of features, one of which can be called a lot of different electronic systems. Among them are air suspension, a radar cruise control system, a computer stabilization system, a driver assistance system during hard braking, a proprietary 4Matic all-wheel drive and much more.
