SPY PICS: New-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class
Next Mercedes-Benz S-Class to be bigger, more electrified and more autonomous next yearDaimler is working apace to ready its next-generation flagship sedan, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class, for global introduction in 2020.
These spy shots, snapped recently in California’s Death Valley, align with industry scuttlebutt suggesting the big Benz will more or less continue with current design themes.
But word is that the new car will come only in long-wheelbase form – and it will grow in size to offer even more interior space.
The next S-Class will adopt headlight designs similar to the new CLA small sedan, while the grille aperture will feature chamfered upper edges to give it a distinctly different (almost-Audi?) shape.
And although the disguise cladding defies any accurate interpretation of the rear-end, the tail-light shapes appear to feature sharp edges on the boot shut-lines, giving a more defined look than the teardrop shapes of the current S-Class.
Clearly, as indicated by the slapped-on disguise work, there is something going on with the door-handles as well, with indications being that they are likely to be of the pop-out variety.
In contrast to the evolutionary styling of the exterior, the next-gen S-Class interior is said to take a page out of the Tesla book with the use of a way-oversize, portrait-oriented touch-screen to replace the conventional instrument panel.
But the main focus seems to be on the Stuttgart company’s intentions as far as electrification and autonomous driving capabilities are concerned.
Although Daimler’s EV aspirations will ultimately shift towards the Mercedes-Benz EQ range of vehicles, the first of which will be the Mercedes-Benz EQC medium SUV, the next S-Class will be electrified at least in the form of a more advanced version of the 245kW/480Nm 3.0-litre V6 plug-in hybrid powertrain seen in the GLE 500e SUV.
The next-gen S-Class will also go beyond the current car’s Level 2 autonomous driving capability by upgrading to the comprehensive Level 3 Drive Pilot system already seen on the new E-Class.
Exact timing for the release of the new 2020 Mercedes-Benz S-Class in Europe is not yet known, but it would be reasonable to expect an Australian launch some time in 2021.
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