New Mercedes flagship breaks cover

First images of Mercedes-Benz’s redesigned S-Class flagship have emerged ahead of the ground-breaking new German limousine’s official global reveal in Hamburg on May 15.

This official image of the new W222-series S-Class appeared prematurely on Mercedes-Benz Austria’s mobile website before being pulled, but not before French site BlogAutomobile managed to save a screenshot.

Meantime, a YouTube video of a scale model produced by Humster3D also shows the MY14 S-Class in its entirety for the first time.

Both the image and video reveal a model that is consistent with recent Automedia spy pics that show the new S-Class virtually undisguised.

Although an evolutionary design, the latest-generation large sedan clearly adopts some of the styling elements that feature on the recently facelifted E-Class.

You’ll notice the flanks are more sculpted than before, virtually mirroring the look of its E-Class sibling. The pronounced wheel-arch flares of the outgoing W221 have also been turfed in favour of more subtly integrated flares.

The new face and rump also contributed to a more athletic stance than before – without sacrificing the stateliness that’s essential for the range-topping sedan.

Breaking with tradition, the new S-Class sedan will be offered in no less than four sizes, with the regular and long-wheelbase being joined by two longer derivatives designed to cater to the limo-loving Chinese market in the absence of Maybach.

The longest version will reportedly stretch a gargantuan 6500mm in order to accommodate an additional row of rear-facing seats that will fold away when not in use. There will also be a slightly shorter version minus the extra seats but with additional legroom for the rear-seat occupants.

As expected of any new S-Class, the latest sedan will be packed with a raft of cutting-edge tech, and among the new features will be a Magic Ride Control system that uses front-facing cameras to analyse the road conditions ahead and optimise the damping rates accordingly.

The car will also incorporate an all-LED lighting package that ‘spotlights’ wayward animals and pedestrians. If obstacles are detected ahead, the on-board safety systems may also respond (depending on the situation) by issuing a warning to the driver, flashing the headlights and even braking automatically.

Meanwhile, the intensity of the rear lights will be automatically varied (based on visibility conditions), reducing energy consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 2.1g/km.

Adaptive cruise control is also a thing of the past, as the new S-Class will not just be able to hold station behind the car in front, it will also be able to execute its own lane changes and overtaking manoeuvres thanks to no less than six on-board radars.

The engine line-up will be vast, extending from four-cylinder hybrid units to a twin-turbo V12 with 507kW in the S65 AMG – which will also feature a carbon-fibre bonnet, bootlid, roof and doors to keep weight down (although you’d have to wonder whether this an almost meaningless exercise given the source of the car’s propulsion).

Stand by for official details.