Complex sentence: The W124 was released in 1984 and introduces several new standards for a mid-size Mercedes, as well as the third car to inherit the company's new design theme since the late 1970s; the first two being the flagship W126 and the compact W201.
Split into simpler sentences: The W124 was released in 1984 and introduced several new standards for a mid-size Mercedes. It was the third car to inherit the company's new design theme since the late 1970s, following the flagship W126 and compact W201.