MOTORS Mercedes Benz’s S-Class

MOTORS

It may look a little less ostentatious than a sports car or a hulking SUV with a six-figure price tag, but seen here is one of the most important cars in the world. Why? Because it’s the new Mercedes S-Class, progenitor of the next generation of in-car tech...

Words: Rob Davis.

IT’S IMPOSSIBLE TO OVERSTATE the importance of the car you see here. It may be a fairly discreet looking saloon, but the Mercedes S-Class is the car that the whole industry - indeed, the whole world - looks to in order to gauge the future of motoring.

The S-Class was the car which either debuted or at least popularised features like anti-lock brakes, ESP, power steering, airbags, adaptive cruise control, voice control, and night vision.

Whatever you see on the S-Class today will become standard on all cars within a decade or so; it’s the firm’s flagship, and the model which gains all of the firm’s latest innovations before other models. The last generation of S-Class debuted ‘magic suspension’ which uses cameras to detect then mitigate broken road surfaces in conjunction with its suspension and dampers. It also introduced active night vision assist and even heated armrests.

Now, there’s a new generation of S-Class and the whole motoring industry was intrigued to see what new technical offerings would move the car on at its world premier in September.

Highlights of the new model include rear airbags, rear wheel steering and greater autonomous driving technology which will be ‘switched on’ as legislation permits in each territory the car is sold in. >>

Rear wheel steering assists in reducing the car’s turning circle by two metres - handy in a city or car park - and the car will park itself, remotely, after the driver has climbed out of the car.

The enhanced Distronic adaptive cruise control, meanwhile, will allow the driver to completely let go of the steering wheel on what’s described as ‘suitable sections of the motorway’ taking over acceleration, braking and lane keeping, even slowing down for sweeping bends.

Another new safety feature is E-Active Body Control suspension, which upon detecting an imminent side impact, raises the car by up to eight centimetres to spread the impact and protect the driver and passengers.

From launch the car will be available with a 3.0V6 petrol engine in two states of tune, badged the S450 and S500. S350d and S400d diesel units will be available too, whilst an S580e model will combine a 3.0V6 petrol engine with an electric motor and plug-in hybrid range of 62 miles.

Front passengers enjoy the latest version of MBUX, Mercedes’s voice control and tablet control system, also providing an integrated ‘wellness’ system which integrates fragrance, mood lighting and climate control functions to relax, energise and so on.

The new S-Class is an evolution of the executive saloon, and though 4x4 vehicles reign supreme in our part of the world, commuters and those who live on the motorway should definitely take a second look. With ever greater autonomous driving functionality and more technology than ever, the S-Class represents the future of motoring; luxurious, economical, smart. n

Rolls Royce Ghost, £208,000: The Ghost is Rolls Royce’s smallest model... but small in this instance is relative. There’s nothing dinky about its 5,549mm length, or its whopping 6.75 litre V12 engine. The last version of the Ghost used BMW 7-Series underpinnings but this model is all new, right down to the aluminium chassis. Described as ‘post-opulence,’ the car has four wheel drive and four wheel steering, just like the S-Class. n

Price: £80,000 (est, on sale Dec). Drivetrain: 3.0 V6 twin-turbo, diesel with 9-speed auto gearbox. Performance: 0-62 mph: 6.4 seconds. Top Speed: 155mph. Economy: 42mpg, 176g/km CO2 . Equipment: Leather upholstery, electric heated seats, auto parking, MBUX voice control and nav, powered boot, cruise control, parking sensors and camera.

Bentley Flying Spur £168,300: More modest than Bentley’s Mulsanne flagship, the firm’s Flying Spur sits somewhere between an S-Class and a Rolls Royce Ghost in its price point. With a cabin lifted from the firm’s Continental GT we actually think it’s more soulful than an S-Class and more attractive inside and out than the Ghost. It’s hand-made in Britain, with a 6.0W12 engine, though a 4.0V8 engined model or plug-in hybrid model may soon be added to the range which will offer better value and just as much usable power. n

Porsche Taycan: If on the other hand you’re in the market for an executive saloon which is a bit more left field and certainly more engaging, Porsche’s Taycan is essentially an all-electric version of its Panamera saloon. At £140,000, its not cheap and specification isn’t quite up to Bentley or S-Class level, but the silent, powerful and effortless drivetrain yields 254 miles and a 60mph time of just 2.8 seconds. Range topping versions provide all wheel drive by utilising a motor per axle. n

The Story of Autobiography Priced at £55,000, the range-topping Range Rover Evoque Autobiography encroaches on the price point of the firm’s Velar, Discovery and Defender models. But the price is justifiable, says Rob Davis, giving his verdict on the new model...

Less than two years after launching the new Evoque, Land Rover has already given the car a facelift, with a new Autobiography model and the firm’s new plug-in hybrid engine taking the cost of the most expensive Evoque to over £55,000. With the firm’s Velar starting out at £45,000, the Discovery at £48,000 and even the new Defender 90 providing less expensive at £40,000, that makes the top of the range Evoque seem quite expensive... doesn’t it? Well, any car in the firm’s portfolio will seat at least five adults in comfort, and at over half a metre shorter than a full-sized Range Rover, the Evoque will prove much easier to manoeuvre and park around town. What’s more, the Evoque’s plug-in hybrid drivetrain with its all-wheel drive and Range Rover Evoque

Price: £52,110. Engine: 1.5 litre V4 plus electric motor. Performance: 0-60mpg 6.1 secs, top speed 132mph. Interior: Leather, sat nav, heated seats, cruise and climate control. n Terrain Response system provides a decent 540nm torque, a more than brisk 0-60mph time of 6.1 seconds, a top speed of 132mph, and WLTP economy of 179mph if you keep the car charged up from the mains, with CO2 emissions below 40mpg meaning tax savings if you run the car as a company vehicle.

All that adds up to a car which offers great performance on-road, impressive ability off-road, low urban running costs and compact dimensions. The icing on the cake?

In Autobiography trim the car is absolutely loaded with equipment from adaptive cruise control to heated and cooled leather seats to 360° camera and panoramic roof... which just goes to show that despite its price, the Evoque can offer much in the way of value and should prove a joy to live with. n

FERRARI An original Ferrari GT250 recently sold for a cool £52m... making it the most expensive classic car ever sold. If you appreciate the beauty but not the price tag, GTO Engineering based in the UK may have the answer. The firm can hand-build a replica 1960 Ferrari 250 GT in around 18 months to your personal specification, complete with a hand-built

Columbo V12 engine and four or five speed manual gearbox. Investing over 300 hours in each car, the replicas sit on 16” wheels, utilise disc brakes and are available in a range of period colours and liveries. You can even specify air conditioning, sat nav and a stereo system, depending on whether you’re a purist. The cost? Around £850,000 depending on specification. n

TREMENDOUS VALUE AND SATISFIED DRIVERS LIKELY FOR KIA’S LAVISHLY EQUIPPED SEVEN-SEAT ALL WHEEL DRIVE

VOLVO With most of the motor industry reeling from lost sales during Covid, Volvo has reported an impressive 7.2% increase in sales during August. In the first eight months of the year, Volvo Cars sold 383,492 cars, down 13.5 per cent compared to the same period last year. August saw year on year sales up by 7.2%, sales in Europe reaching 17,458 cars in August. The XC60 mid-size SUV was the top-selling model for the company, followed by the XC40 and the XC90. n

KIA Kia can do little wrong at the moment. Its reputation has rocketed from anonymous to very well-regarded in the past couple of years and its new Sorento 4x4 shows why. Top end models cost below £47,000 but provide all wheel drive, seven seats, a huge boot, panoramic roof, heated and ventilated leather seats and adaptive cruise control plus a 2.2 diesel with automatic gearbox that blends economy and performance well, towing 2,500kg and achieving 42mpg. A plug-in hybrid will join the range later in the year but for now the existing diesel Sorento looks like a great car to us. n

RELIABILITY

What Car? has surveyed over 13,000 drivers of cars up to five years old to determine the reliability of new vehicles. The magazine awarded each maker a reliability score based on the occurrence and cost - if any - of a repair, plus the time taken to fix a defect. The most common faults were non-engine electrics (27%), bodywork (19%) and engine electrics (13%).

Rank

1. Brand

Lexus Score

98.7%

2. 3. Mitsubishi Toyota 97.9% 97.7%

4. Mini 96.8%

5. 6. Skoda Hyundai 96.4% 96.3%

7. 8. Kia Honda 95.9% 95.3%

=9. BMW 95.2%

=9 11. Mazda Alfa Romeo 95.2% 94.6%

=12. =12. Fiat Subaru 94.5% 94.5%

=14. Dacia 94.4%

=14. =16. Suzuki Citroën 94.4% 93.8%

=16. Volvo 93.8%

18. 19. Ford Seat 93.7% 93.6%

20. Volkswagen 93.2%

21. Jaguar 91.8%

=22. =22. Audi MG 91.5% 91.5%

=22. Porsche 91.5%

25. Peugeot 91.1%

26. Mercedes 91.0%

=27. Nissan 90.1%

=27. Vauxhall 90.1%

29. Tesla 88.6%

30. Renault

87.6% 31. Land Rover 78.2% n See www.whatcar.com.

Next month Renbrac Renewables in Oakham will celebrate its first anniversary. The firm provides a single point of contact for a free, no obligation chat about renewable energy as well as the ability to purchase technologies and enjoy project management and installation of energy efficient technology. This month we’re answering the 10 most common questions surrounding renewable energy with Michael and Antoinette Robertson…

Words: Rob Davis.

1. Renewable energy means solar panels and wind turbines doesn’t it? It’s a catch-all term for a number of technologies. Most common for homeowners and businesses are the different types of solar panels (e.g.: PV, thermal…) of which we mainly install Solar PV, since they’re the most versatile, providing electricity but with a small amount of additional equipment, hot water, too. We also provide solutions for air-source and ground-source heat pumps which replace fossil fuel boilers (gas, oil, LPG, coal) with super-efficient electric systems which meet all of the heat and hot water requirements of the home. Wind turbines are best kept for grid scale power generation where they have been hugely successful in lowering the carbon emissions of the National Grid.

2. I’m not building a new home, though? Renewable technology can be easily incorporated into existing properties and new properties alike, there are so many options now, even solutions for properties in conservation areas or for installation in listed buildings; we are used to dealing with all types of buildings.

3. So what are the main benefits? Once you have installed your system it will be generating power that you can use in any way that suits you, reducing your dependence on the National Grid and slashing your carbon footprint. We can design systems to provide electricity, hot water, electric car charging, heating and we can even build in back up power systems for people who live in areas that suffer from blackouts. Although there is no longer a Government backed Feed-in-Tariff to pay back for any power you generate, there are tariffs from energy providers that do this and we can advise what will work best for our clients. So although the FIT has diminished, the technology has improved, prices have come down as the technology has proliferated, and renewable energy solutions benefit the homeowner more.

Today, the technology is designed around keeping more of the energy you generate in your home and around using batteries or power diverting devices to automatically and intelligently direct power where you need it, at the times you use it.

4. What’s the investment, when will it be repaid? Every home is different, everyone’s energy use is different. That’s why we undertake a careful evaluation of each customer’s circumstances to give a more accurate answer in each case.

As a rule of thumb our technologies repay the consumer a return on their investment of 5 to 10 % depending on whether they install just panels or add additional technologies like batteries, water heating devices and EV chargers. A typical Solar PV system for the home starts from approximately £6,000, with additional equipment to create hot water around £1,000 and a battery system to store energy around £5,000.

Electric Car Chargers cost from £600 upwards fully installed depending on the model and whether you qualify for a grant, and your running costs after that are incredibly low. Ground and air-source heat pumps are incredibly efficient –300%-400% efficient as opposed to the most energy efficient combi-boilers on the market which are only around 90% efficient – but these cost a little more, with solutions from around £10,000.

They do however qualify for the Renewable Heat Incentive which will pay back for seven years after it is installed (20 years for non-domestic), recovering much of the cost.

5. Is the aim to be self-sufficient with energy use? Our clients come to us with different expectations and different demands. Some want to save money, some want to be ‘green’ and some want to go ‘off-grid.’ It is possible to reduce your dependence on the grid but remain connected to it – known as ‘grid-tied.’ This has benefits like being able to distribute energy back to the grid and draw it at peak times. Even mitigating your energy use, though, can be hugely beneficial to your pocket as well as the planet.

6. How can I evaluate any successes? Happily, smart meters and smartphones have made it possible to monitor the energy use of your household, and you can also use the National Grid ESO app to see the whole country’s energy use. The UK as a whole is moving towards renewable energy, and it’s easier than ever to gain peace of mind and financial advantage knowing where your energy comes from.

7. I’m thinking about getting an electric car – can you help? Definitely. We actively encourage people to talk to us as soon as they start thinking about an EV as there is a lot of information out there but it’s sometimes confusing and contradictory. We can help demystify the jargon

and provide all the free advice you need to make an informed decision that best suits your needs. In our office we have examples of some of the Home Charging units we install and we run an electric vehicle ourselves, so we speak from experience when we say that the technology has never been easier, more affordable or more beneficial, especially for company car drivers as there is 0% Benefit In Kind (BIK) tax rate for electric cars which can save thousands of pounds a year.

8. Can I run an electric car off my solar panels? Yes! And there are thousands of people driving around using power generated from their own rooftops. Depending on the car and the property we can create solutions for those who want the benefits of fossil fuel-free motoring. There are more and more plug-in hybrid or fully electric cars coming onto the market and the latter are especially impressive, with far fewer moving parts than petrol or diesel engines and generous ranges.

9. Why did you start Renbrac Renewables? Simply because we believe in the technology. We’ve a nine-year old son and we believe it’s ethical to contribute to reducing our carbon footprint now and for future generations. Clients tell us they want to be greener, but if your justification is economical not ethical, it’s still a good investment. The technology –as well as the industry – has never been more trustworthy and has never had the quality or such a good choice of technology to make available to consumers.

10. Do I need to know anything when I see you? Absolutely not. In the first instance our role is to provide a non-salesy, no obligation discussion which will dispel any myths, evaluate your circumstances, and give good, honest, practical advice on what’s available.

Any products we supply to customers thereafter are only as a consequence of our knowledge and experience and the good advice that we offer – we don’t need to ‘sell’ to people because the benefits of renewable energy speak for themselves.

That’s why we’re happy to invest as much time as you want, free of charge and with no obligation, to ensure you fully understand what’s available. n

Find Out More: Renbrac Renewables provides free, no-obligation advice on all matters around renewable energy. Visit Renbrac Renewables Ltd in Victoria Hall, Oakham, LE15 6AH. Alternatively call 01572 729538 or see www.renbrac.co.uk.

Financial Flexibility with Equity Release Mortgages Utilising the equity in your home can provide you with cash for home improvements, retirement projects or help you pay off a current mortgage without surrendering ownership of your home...

Enjoying the fruits of your labour is important especially in later life or post-retirement. With a population living longer and living in better health though, as a generation, many older folk are outliving their pensions and investments. If, however, you’ve equity in your property, BCM Wealth Management in Stamford can help you explore the possibility of releasing that equity for home improvement projects, to fund care or to help the younger generation get a foothold on the property ladder... it can even be used to fund the holiday of a lifetime. Equity release is a subject some have viewed with scepticism in the past, either because some providers have employed vigorous sales techniques, because of the comparatively high interest rates, or because of confusion with the products available. Happily, BCM’s mortgage and equity release specialist Jamie Gibson can provide advice on the subject, with a range of mortgage providers offering equity release solutions, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that BCM Wealth Management is a Partner Practice of St. James’s Place. “There are some misconceptions, owing to the way the products have been sold in the past,” says Jamie. “There are a number of different products available and providing they are the right thing for the client they can help solve a number of issues, allowing a much more comfortable retirement. Equity Release can provide a tax-free lump sum, smaller sums with more in reserve or even an income.” “Some people think you have to move out of the property once you’ve undertaken equity release which isn’t the case.” “You can stay in the property, sell it (although this may incur an early repayment charge and the loan will need to be repaid or transferred to a new property which meets the lenders criteria), or move into a care environment, depending on your future needs.” “All equity release products have year-on-year forecasts to show what you still owe, and we have a comprehensive range of lenders each of which has been subject to St. James’s Place’s due diligence processes.” “Your property is often your biggest asset, it’s usually an appreciating asset and it’s usually the one to which you’re most attached.” “It’s a powerful means of releasing capital and for that reason, utilising the equity in your home can also mean the difference between downsizing to release equity and remaining in your home.” “Inheritance must also be considered, releasing equity from you home will reduce the amount you are able to leave as a legacy.” “Equity release is therefore potentially very useful once you’ve had responsible and trustworthy advice. They’re one of a number of services and products that we offer at BCM Wealth Management. We also offer advice for first time buyers’, cover buy to let mortgages and commercial mortgages. “That’s in addition to our range of pension and investment planning and wealth management products we offer as an integral part of holistic approach to wealth management.” n

This is a lifetime mortgage or home reversion plan. To understand the features and risks associated with such products, please ask for a personalised illustration. Your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage.

BCM Wealth Management offers a comprehensive range of first charge mortgages from across the market, which lenders make available to mortgage intermediaries. Commercial and some buy to let mortgages are not regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

BCM Wealth Management Ltd is an appointed representative of and represents only St. James’s Place Wealth Management plc (which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority) for the purpose of advising solely on the Group’s wealth management products and service, more details of which are set out on the Group’s website www.sjp.co.uk/products. The ‘St. James’s Place Partnership’ and the titles ‘Partner’ and ‘Partner Practice’ are marketing terms used to describe St. James’s Place representatives.