2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Facelift Shows Its Headlights in Latest Spy Footage

That could be because, frankly, there isn't that much to say. The previous images and videos have showed that the top-of-the-range Mercedes-Benz will only receive minor stylistic modifications, the most notable (or, should we say, "the only ones we can see so far") being the car's front end.

Staying true to the literal meaning of the word "facelift," the 2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class appears to come with a completely new front bumper and headlight. If we initially thought that their outside shape would remain the same, it appears that the changes envisioned by the engineers required some structural modifications as well.

It's not something that catches your eye straight away, but the new headlights are a bit smaller, digging into the upper part of the new front bumper and creating an angle that previously wasn't there. The curvy, continuous bottom line of the previous model's headlights has now been broken into two.

We've seen the MULTIBEAM LED headlamps installed on the new E-Class receive a very thorough analysis, and with such impressive performance it's easy to imagine they'll migrate on the future S-Class as well. The headlights' graphics have also changed compared to the current model, the new one having just one main lamp, an LED strip on the inside that splits into three as it goes down and three separate smaller LED lamps stacked on top of each other on the outside.

It may seem weird that the S-Class is borrowing features from the smaller, more affordable E-Class, but the new mid-sized sedan has been announced from the off as a technological powerhouse, so there's no shame in that. And speaking of similarities with the E-Class, we wouldn't be surprised if the lower part of the front bumper turns out to be very similar to that on smaller model. However, the designers will have to find a way of making it a little less aggressive and a little more elegant to suit the stately appearance of the S-Class.

In spite of the heavy testing activity, the S-Class facelift isn't expected to debut sooner than 2017, so there's still time for more novelty features to surface. On the other hand, we've seen the interior, we've managed to piece together the front end, and the side and the rear were at no point a mystery - the only thing that can still surprise us is what we can't see: the technology. With Uber reportedly agreeing to buy 100,000 "autonomous" S-Class limousines starting 2020, the new car will probably make a few more steps in that direction.