FearLess Posted April 27, 2020 Posted April 27, 2020 1. Mercedes-Benz S-Class When Mercedes-Benz sets out to make a new S-Class, the brief is to make the best car in the world. While it might not visually seduce like a Jaguar XJ, the big Merc offers an ownership experience that should be even more appealing. This car does what it’s supposed to do superbly and is functionally exceptional. It was conceived as a long-wheelbase saloon, giving it unprecedented torsional rigidity, and the ride is helped by standard air suspension with adaptive dampers. There’s a choice of four petrol and two diesel engines, with a nine-speed automatic ‘box standard equipment. An advanced 48v hybrid electric powertrain technology used to boost both performance and efficiency in some derivates, while the plug-in hybrid S560e will be the default choice in the range for anyone liable to pay benefit-in-kind tax (it attracts less than half as much BIK tax as any of the other derivative). For those who don't care a bit about such things, meanwhile, there's always the 600-horsepower S63. 2. Range Rover The latest Range Rover, the fourth generation of the model, is as revolutionary as any in history, with an aluminium monocoque chassis and an unashamedly luxurious agenda. That it is a luxury car first and 4x4 second is not to run down its capability offroad one jot, however. The spacious interior exudes quality and luxury, the seats are excellent and the driving position is first-rate, making it easy to drive for a car of its size. The heavy bodyshell provides excellent isolation from rough surfaces and, while it doesn’t offer the driving engagement of a Porsche Cayenne, it’s easy to make enjoyable and brisk progress should the need arise. 3. Audi E-tron Quattro We’re now entering reasonably well established times for the premium electric car. There have been fast ones, very fast ones, big ones, small ones, expensive ones and cheap, and some that even attempt a bit of four-wheel driven versatility. Never has an electric car come along and done onboard luxury better than Audi’s first stab at the zero-emissions template: the E-tron Quattro. This car combines four-wheel drive and a commanding outright performance level with SUV-level space, convenience and usability and with Audi-brand desirability. But what really makes it stand out is how superbly hushed, comfortable and refined it is. When we road tested one, our decibel placed its cabin noise level closer, at a 70mph cruise, to that of a Rolls-Royce Phantom than a Tesla Model X. 4. Tesla Model S The first bespoke creation from electric car pioneer Elon Musk’s firm, the Model S is the machine that brought credibility, luxury, pace and useful range to the electric car market. With lesser-capacity derivatives now discontinued, there are effectively only two Model Ss to choose from, both using a 100kWh battery pack - and the 'long range' version getting a claimed 379-mile WLTP-certified range that Tesla claims makes it the longest-legged EV in production. You’ll need to drive the car pretty conservatively to reproduce that range figure in real-world use, but even getting within 80 per cent of it would make this a singularly usable electric car for a great many. 5. Audi A8 The latest Audi A8 features even more advanced chassis, powertrain and in-car technology than the latest Mercedes S-Class including, when it’s finally switched on, what promises to be the greatest capability for autonomous driving of any production car in the world. There’s a choice of turbocharged engines – a 282bhp diesel or 335bhp petrol – with four-wheel-drive as standard and a 48V electrical system that gives it mild hybrid status. Higher up the model range you'll find the tax-saving six-cylinder petrol '60 TFSIe', whose refinement and effortless responsiveness really boost the appeal of the car's driving experience - as well as the range-topping V8-powered S8 executive express. 6. BMW 7 Series Since launch in 1977, the 7 Series has been in the shadow of the Mercedes S-Class, but this latest version is BMW’s most committed attempt yet to fully crack the luxury saloon market. The car combines optional adaptive air suspension with pioneering infotainment and convenience features, and offers a choice of two wheelbase lengths and rear- or four-wheel-drive. 7. Jaguar XJ There has been a Jaguar XJ at the pinnacle of the firm’s saloon range since 1968, and the most recent version is a confident, forward-looking expression of the firm’s revival. The sportiness hinted at by those sleek lines is reinforced by an excellent-handling chassis. The XJ’s cabin offers a sense of style and drama German rivals can’t muster, even if it doesn’t compete in terms of sheer material quality and trails in terms of interior tech. 8. BMW X7 Don’t think of this as an enlarged X5, says Munich, but rather a jacked-up 7-Series that’s been readied for limited off-roading work. That description doesn’t much account for the fact that the X7 is a seven-seat, two-box passenger car with an extended roofline, of course – but it does tell you about the priorities that BMW’s designers and engineers had when it came to refining and tuning the car. 9. BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo A large five-door hatchback, the 5 Series GT replacement is an interesting, if oddball, choice of luxury transport. The 6 Series GT has the same wheelbase as the 7 Series and, despite a lowered roofline, retains the raised seating position of the 5 Series GT. The interior feels comfy, upmarket and well-appointed, with plenty of room for four. 10. Lexus LS The LS has always been a niche choice in the UK, but its success elsewhere has guaranteed this latest version a seat at the top saloon table. The car's had a major styling overhaul, and the interior feels both modern and luxurious in a likably unconventional way. There are four trim levels, the top one coming with plenty of equipment and, spec-depending, also a rare kind of material richness that few cars in the world can match.
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