2026 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift – W223 positive factors MBUX Superscreen, flat-plane V8, trick suspension

Celebrating 140 years since Karl Benz invented the automotive, Mercedes-Benz has pulled the covers off the facelifted W223 S-Class. The benchmark luxurious sedan has seen a complete makeover, with round 2,700 elements – greater than 50% of the automotive, Stuttgart says – being both new or reengineered.

It definitely appears that manner from the skin, being virtually unrecognisable with an enormous grille that’s 20% bigger than earlier than, offering house for 4 slats as an alternative of three. For the primary time on an S-Class, the hexagonal encompass is illuminated, and it options quite a few smaller stars – together with on the radar sensor.

That’s simply the beginning of Mercedes’ somewhat ostentatious use of the star graphic, which has inflicted each different mannequin however reaches new heights right here. The aforementioned bonnet decoration is illuminated as an choice, and there at the moment are quadruple stars within the headlights. The lamps are joined to the proboscis by way of a gloss black body – a design cue tailored from the W214 E-Class, originating from the EQ collection of EVs.

Additionally lifted from the E-Class are the celebs within the taillights, besides there at the moment are three stars on all sides, joined by a brand new two-tone black and chrome strip. Finishing the array of illumination is the non-obligatory welcome gentle projection alongside the flanks, somewhat tastefully incorporating a linear sample and the Mercedes-Benz script.

The Digital Mild micro-LED headlamps have been upgraded with a brand new chip enabling a 40% improve within the illumination discipline. The excessive beams, which challenge as much as 600 metres forward, can now swivel to optimise protection within the corners, whereas the adaptive excessive beam has been improved to higher spotlight poorly-lit pedestrians with out dazzling oncoming site visitors.

The cornering lights additionally now adapts to extra highway layouts, aided by digicam and navigation information. Customers can go for a projection perform, which may now challenge a snowflake icon in slippery circumstances and a lightweight information on slim lanes, the latter changing the development zone gentle.

As commonplace, the S-Class includes a slim centre air consumption (because of the massive grille) and diagonal chrome-trimmed inlets on both aspect, whereas the rear options extra chrome strips and twin built-in exhausts. The AMG Line provides bigger “nacelles” on the entrance bumper corners and an elevated use of gloss black on the rear bumper. Wheel choices vary from 19 to 21 inches in diameter and embody intricate new 20-inch high-pressure-cast alloys with 50 (!) cross spokes.

The wholesale revamp continues on the within, the place the S-Class ditches its portrait infotainment touchscreen in favour of the E-Class’ MBUX Superscreen. This combines a bigger 14.4-inch centre touchscreen and a 12.3-inch passenger show below a single piece of glass, with the motive force as an alternative getting a 12.3-inch freestanding instrument show, optionally out there with a 3D impact. Taking a web page out of Tesla, the motive force’s show is ready to present surrounding automobiles, bikes and pedestrians in 3D.

All this runs on the most recent Mercedes-Benz Working System (MB.OS), that includes a fourth-generation MBUX, a brand new service-oriented electrical and digital structure, Google Maps navigation and an upgraded “Hey Mercedes” voice management with help for generative AI assistants comparable to ChatGPT and Google Gemini. This extends to the brand new MBUX Notes function, which helps you to dictate notes hands-free. With the built-in short-term reminiscence, the voice management is ready to have interaction in advanced, multi-turn conversations.

The S-Class additionally receives new bodily rocker and curler controls for the steering wheel, in addition to a redesigned centre console with twin Qi wi-fi chargers, illuminated cupholders and 100-watt USB-C ports. The nook air vents are in a brand new nozzle-like design, slightly harking back to a tardigrade’s mouth.

Talking of which, the vents are powered and might be managed by way of the touchscreen, robotically adjusting them to varied air flow settings – though you’ll be able to nonetheless regulate them manually. This function can optionally be prolonged to the rear vents as an choice. A brand new electrical air filter ionises and removes extraordinarily positive particles, utterly purifying the cabin air each 90 seconds.

As befits its luxurious billing, even the entrance seats of the S-Class are extraordinarily plush, with 19 motors to offer an entire host of changes, in addition to heating, air flow and at least six therapeutic massage programmes. However actually, it’s the rear seats which might be crucial right here, and to that finish the S-Class comes with upgraded applied sciences and shows.

The rear screens are bigger at 13.1 inches throughout, and there at the moment are twin removable distant management touchscreens that substitute the only pill. Inside cameras are fitted on the entrance and on every rear display screen, and so they can all be used for video calls on Groups.

Patrons can select from 4 five-seater choices – a set rear bench, reclining rear seats, Rear Consolation Bundle with heating, air flow, a wi-fi charger and four-zone local weather management, and Rear Consolation Bundle Plus with therapeutic massage and a built-in passenger-side ottoman. For even larger opulence, there’s the four-seat First Class structure with a full-length centre console, a built-in fridge and fold-out tables.

There are additionally the same old Burmester 3D and 4D encompass sound methods (with as much as 39 audio system and 1,690 watts of energy) out there, and you may even now spec the automotive with heated seat belts that attain 44 levels Celsius. Mercedes says the latter even helps with security, as occupants can be extra inclined to take away their jackets, making the seatbelts work extra successfully.

Underneath the bonnet, the S-Class might be had with a spread of up to date gentle and plug-in hybrid engines. The vary begins with an M256 Evo 3.0 litre turbo straight-six that now delivers 381 PS and 560 Nm of torque within the S450 4Matic, and 449 PS and 600 Nm (640 Nm on overboost) within the S500 4Matic. The enhancements come because of a extra highly effective electrical compressor, optimised consumption and exhaust ports and an uprated consumption cam, whereas extra sound-deadening measures improve refinement nonetheless additional.

As for the diesels, the 313 PS/650 Nm S350d and 367 PS/750 Nm S450d include an OM656 Evo six-pot with a heated catalytic converter and improved exhaust fuel recirculation (EGR) to go stricter emissions laws. All engines include a 48-volt gentle hybrid system that utilises a 23 PS built-in starter-generator (ISG) motor.

In the meantime, the 435 PS/680 Nm S450e and 585 PS/750 Nm S580e PHEVs pair the M256 Evo – in addition to a particulate filter and pressurised gasoline tank, now commonplace globally – with an extra highly effective 163 PS motor and an unchanged 28.6 kWh battery, persevering with to ship as much as 100 km of pure EV vary. However the largest change is to the range-topping S580 which, as beforehand reported, positive factors a Ferrari-style flat-plane crank V8 – akin to the AMG GT Black Sequence and Aston Martin Valhalla.

The gentle hybrid M177 Evo 4.0 litre twin-turbo mill comes with revised consumption cams and injection system, optimised consumption and exhaust ports and enhancements to the compressor wheel and turbocharger housing, serving to it to additionally meet the most recent emissions regs with out sacrificing energy. Outputs have been boosted to 537 PS and 750 Nm, up from 503 PS and 700 Nm with the previous cross-plane crank M176. Anticipate the AMG S63 to function an uprated model of the identical engine, paired with its E Efficiency PHEV system.

Suspension duties are dealt with by commonplace Airmatic air springs, with E-Lively Physique Management roll stabilisation non-obligatory. Each include a brand new clever damping system that may differentiate between quick and sharp highway irregularities comparable to potholes, and lengthy pace bumps widespread to southern Europe and the US.

To do that, the system depends on crowdsourced information on floor imperfections by way of vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, enabling it to regulate the damping proactively. Rear-wheel steering at 4.5 levels now comes as commonplace, with the 10-degree system nonetheless non-obligatory.

The S-Class has at all times led the best way in security, and this newest mannequin options an upgraded water-cooled supercomputer to energy its autonomous driving features. As commonplace, MB.Drive Help is able to Degree 2 semi-autonomy, with Distronic adaptive cruise management, lane centring help and lane change help.

The Professional model permits highly-automated point-to-point driving and the power to cease at cease indicators and site visitors lights. This function can be supplied in China (the place these features are standard) to start out and can be rolled out to different markets as soon as laws permit.

The MB.Drive Parking Help can now park diagonally and help in exiting parking spots even after the automotive was parked manually, with the Chinese language market gaining a reversing help perform already present in most BMWs. The 360-degree digicam system continues to be non-obligatory (bewildering for such a big automotive) however comes with enhanced shows and a soon-to-be-available wheel kerbing warning.

Passive security has been improved, too, with an up to date energetic restraint system that includes dual-stage entrance airbags (with a energetic vent for the passenger) and cargo limiters, in addition to Pre-Secure Impulse seat belt pre-tensioners as commonplace. A brand new commonplace passenger knee airbag joins the one on the motive force’s aspect, resulting in a complete of 15 airbags out there.

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