Let’s admit it – we’re all glad that 2020 is over and that we need a high-octane start for 2021. Well, Mercedes-Benz India had the same thought process and, to inject bucket-loads of excitement, the company has launched a special S-Class – the S 350 d Maestro Edition. Here’s a question – did the luxury saloon even need that ‘Maestro’ tag? Well, Mercedes-Benz has it one. That means this particular Luxo barge must have something outstanding.

Let’s start with the price – it is Rs 1.51 crore. Compared to the standard S 350 d, the Maestro Edition costs nearly Rs 13 lakh more. For those who can afford the S-Class, that price difference is almost negligible. But, even they would want to know where the two variants differ. First of all, the Maestro Edition packs the latest Mercedes Me Connect (MMC) technology which offers three new features – Alexa integration, Google Home integration and Parking Solution POIs (Point Of Interests) in navigation.

Let’s elaborate a bit. Both Alexa and Google Home integrations mean one can control or command the sedan via an Alexa Echo device or a Google Home device. So, stuff like “Alexa, ask Mercedes to unlock to take a courier delivery”. Another example would be, “Okay Google, ask Mercedes to turn on the climate control”. As for the embedded Parking Solution, it can help trace nearby car parking lots. It’ll show POIs such as malls, building and paid parking spaces. The tech will also bifurcate between covered and non-covered parking using different icons.

Then, the car packs something called Magic Sky Control. The S-Class Maestro Edition comes with a dual-section glass module with configurable transparency. The front and the rear sections can be set to light or dark independently of each other. Other add-ons include memory package for front seats, which covers the steering and mirror adjustment as well, new  “Nut Brown” leather upholstery with white bright exterior paint (comes from the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class), high-gloss brown eucalyptus wood trim and a new paint option – Anthracite Blue.

Propulsion comes courtesy of a 2.9-litre, turbocharged diesel engine, which produces 282bhp/600Nm, and a 9-speed automatic transmission. The setup is enough for a 0-100kmph sprint time of 6 seconds and a top speed of 250kmph. The humungous list of features includes massaging seats at the rear, a 13-speaker Burmester sound system, wireless mobile charging in front and back, Active Steering Assist, Active Distance Assist and Blind Spot Assist.

According to Mercedes-Benz India, more than 5,000 customers presently use MMC. The carmaker says that the latest features are available with all cars. Existing customers can get the updates via OTA. All they need to do is activate the new services in the App.