Mercedes has really upped the ante with its latest S Class flagship saloon which will cost from £78,705 for the standard wheelbase S 350 d AMG Line.

This model features an inline six-cylinder diesel engine, producing 286hp and a whopping 600Nm of torque. It can deliver between 40.4 and 42.8mpg on a combined run with carbon emissions of 173 g/km of CO2. The long wheelbase models are not quite as fuel efficient and are rated between 39.2 and 39.8mpg.

The S Class can power its way to 62mph from a standing start in 6.4 seconds and has a top speed that is electronically limited to 155mph.

S 400 d 4MATIC models are priced from £94,135 and are only available in long wheelbase guise. They are fitted with an inline six-cylinder 330hp diesel engine delivering between 37.7 and 38.7mpg on the combined cycle. It can complete the 0-62mph sprint in 5.4 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph.

Next up is the petrol-powered S 500 4MATIC with a £89,105 price-tag. It produces 435hp and can sprint from 0-62 mph in just 4.9 seconds.

The S 500 model uses EQ Boost electrification which features an integrated starter-generator powered by a 48-volt on-board electrical system which also enables certain hybrid functions to improve performance and efficiency.

As a result, the S 500 delivers between 32.8 and 34.9mpg – 31.7 and 32.5mpg for the long wheelbase variant – with 184g/km of CO2.

All models are fitted with a slick 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic transmission and the S 400 d and S 500 are also now available with 4MATIC all-wheel-drive.

The new S-Class features the next generation of Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) with a 12.8-inch OLED touchscreen central display, a 12.3-inch digital driver display, plus an MBUX tablet – which can be used as a fully-fledged tablet outside of the vehicle, including the ability to download Android apps.