Rent Mercedes S 560 2020 in Dubai

Arriving somewhere in Dubai with a driver up front and you in the back is the job this car was built for, and we'll have a Mercedes S 560 2020 at your door in one to two hours so you can do exactly that. This is the previous-generation W222 flagship, the last of the classic big twin-turbo V8 limousines before the brand went all-screen with the newer S-class. It rents in Dubai for noticeably less than the latest car while giving you most of what made the S-class the standard. The decision this page helps you make is simple: whether the old-school V8 luxury is the right call for your week, or whether you're better off in the newer W223 or a smaller E-class.

What you're actually renting

The 560 sits at the top of the W222 line. Under the long bonnet is a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 making 469 hp, sent to all four wheels through a nine-speed automatic. That combination does 0 to 100 km/h in 4.6 seconds, which in a 2-tonne sedan feels less like speed and more like the road being pulled toward you. It's quiet about it. You rarely hear the V8 unless you ask it to work, and on Sheikh Zayed Road it settles into a cruise with the engine barely turning over.

What dates the car, in a good way, is the character. The W223 that replaced it leans hard on screens. This one keeps the heavy, planted, mechanical feel that made the S-class the car heads of state were driven in. For arrivals, weddings, and being chauffeured to a meeting, that matters more than another inch of touchscreen.

The back seat is the point

Most people who rent this car spend more time behind the front seats than in them, and that's where the 560 earns its keep. The rear is wide, the seats recline and support properly, and there's real legroom even with a tall driver up front. Two adults in the back travel in the kind of comfort that makes a 40-minute run to a meeting feel like nothing. Put a third in the middle and it's still fine for a short hop, less so for an hour.

The boot holds 530 litres, which swallows two large suitcases plus a couple of soft bags without trouble. For an airport collection, that's the right amount of room. Move four adults each with a big case, though, and you'll be loading thoughtfully rather than just throwing it all in.

Heat, and how fast the cabin cools

A car this size has a lot of air to chill, and in a Dubai July that's the real test. Park the S 560 in the open at 45 and the cabin bakes like any other. The difference is the climate system, which is strong and pulls a parked cabin down to comfortable within a few minutes rather than the slow crawl you get in budget cars. Rear passengers get their own vents and controls, so the person in the back isn't waiting on the front to share cold air. For a chauffeured run, that's the detail that decides whether your passenger steps out composed or flustered.

Living with its length

This is a 5.14-metre car, and you feel it most when you're not moving. Marina multi-storey bays and older mall car parks weren't drawn for a flagship this long, so tight bays take patience and the parking camera. On the road none of it matters. The long wheelbase is what gives the ride its calm, and on the E11 the car is effortless, with plenty in reserve for an overtake. For DXB and DWC runs it's ideal, composed at speed and unbothered by a full load.

Fuel, and the honest version

Mercedes quotes around 8.5 litres per 100 km, and you should ignore that for Dubai. In real city driving with the AC fighting the heat, a V8 this size sits closer to 12 to 14 litres per 100 km, more in stop-start traffic. The 80-litre tank still gives you a genuine 550 to 650 km of mixed driving, so a fill or two covers a normal week. This was never an economy car. If low running cost is high on your list, that's a reason to look elsewhere.

A few Dubai basics apply as with any rental. Salik tolls and any RTA fines run on the car pass to you, and seatbelts are required in every seat, front and back.

Who should rent it, and who shouldn't

Rent the S 560 if the back seat is where the value is: airport collections you want done with presence, weddings, business arrivals, or any week where arriving in serious comfort beats saving on fuel. As the previous-generation flagship it gives you that for a softer rate than the current car, and the V8 character is something the newer hybrids don't replicate.

Skip it if you want the latest cabin tech and the smoothest screens, in which case the W223 S 500 or S 580 is the car to ask for. And if it's just you driving yourself around the city most of the week, the S-class is more car than you need. A smaller E-class does the executive job with less length to park and a lighter fuel bill. But for being driven, or for arriving like the occasion matters, this is still the one to book.