AN ALL-NEW S-class luxury sedan flagship emerges from the Mercedes-Benz factory but once every seven years and, as a the latest incarnation of what's widely regarded as the world's best car, is cause for celebration. This time around, the all-new W221 boasts the usual array of advanced new technologies the further refine the comfort and driving experience of would-be buyers. Of course, the latest S-class also grows in size, making it closer to the mammoth W140 model that earned the "Schwein Klasse" nickname. And for the long-wheelbase S500L variant, which arrives ahead of the S350 and S600 this year, there's a $6000 price hike. As the pinnacle of Mercedes-Benz engineering, is the latest S-class good enough to maintain its place ahead of seriously accomplished rivals such as BMW's 7 Series, Audi's A8, Jaguar's XJ and Lexus LS?