Mercedes-Benz All New 2000 S-Class Continues To Garner Awards
12 November 1999
Mercedes-Benz All New 2000 S-Class Continues To Garner Awards; Chosen as 'Best of What's New' by Popular Science Magazine Wins Popular Mechanics Magazine's 'Design & Engineering Awards 2000'MONTVALE, N.J., Nov. 11 -- The all-new 2000 Mercedes-Benz S- Class sedan was selected as a winner of Popular Science's 1999 Best of What's New award. Debuting in the December issue of Popular Science -- the monthly published by Times Mirror Magazines that informs consumers of new technology and scientific breakthroughs in the automotive, consumer electronics, aviation/space, and computer/software industries -- the all-new S-Class was chosen as one of the 100 best achievements of the year in science and technology. For the twelfth year, editors of Popular Science review thousands of new products, technology developments and scientific achievements. For this year's Best of What's New car award, the all-new S-Class was distinguished as a technical tour de force that "features unparalleled luxury and technology" citing groundbreaking automotive technology features such as a "voice-activated GPS navigational system [that] makes you get to your destination" and a "grill-mounted radar sounds an alarm and automatically brakes the vehicle if it detects another car or an obstacle ahead." In the automotive technology category, editors of Popular Science chose DaimlerChrysler's NECAR 4 (New Electric Car), noting that the NECAR 4 is the "first fuel cell vehicle that drives like a regular car." They conclude that "the bigger breakthrough, though, is that the company was able to shrink the drivetrain enough to fit under a tiny A-Class subcompact." The all-new 2000 S-Class sedan also won the Design & Engineering Award by Popular Mechanics magazine, the original men's service magazine published by Hearst Magazines that informs readers on mechanical and scientific materials in a popular, easy-to-understand format. Each year, editors of Popular Mechanics recognize new ideas, designs, innovations and developments that represent the best thinking in 1999 in areas the magazine covers. Debuting in the December issue of Popular Mechanics, the Design & Engineering Awards 2000 is reviewed by editor-in-chief, Joe Oldham. The all-new S-Class was recognized for many technologies and features such as its "double-overhead-cam, 24-valve, 16-spark plug V8 engines and manual/automatic transmission rear-drive powertrains [plus] its totally integrated climate control/audio/navigation/communication system console." Oldham summed up by adding: "you could make a case for the S-Class being the best car ever made." "The Mercedes S-Class quickly proved a winner with our clients for its striking design and new high-technology features," said Hal Whiteford, vice president, operations, MBUSA. "Receiving this kind of recognition from both Popular Science and Popular Mechanics reinforces our commitment to continue to design and produce the finest premium luxury vehicles in the world." Mercedes-Benz launched its all-new model year 2000 S-Class in the spring of 1999 as the newest generation of its flagship passenger sedan. Since its debut, demand for both the S430 and S500 has been phenomenal, with S-Class sales recording the highest monthly sales volume in its history in October. The December issues of Popular Science and Popular Mechanics are now available on newsstands.