autoevolution
 

2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Facelift Spied for the First Time Showing Minor Changes

Mercedes-Benz isn’t showing a lot of consistency by preparing a facelift for the S-Class, when models like the SLK are yet to receive their updated version even though they’ve been around since 2011.
2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift 11 photos
Photo: S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift2018 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift
The S-Class as we know it now was launched in June 2013, so it’s only two and a half years old, but to this day it still looks just as modern and competitive among the other offerings in its segment. That’s mostly because two and a half years ago, it was nothing short of a very luxurious and comfortable spaceship.

It’s natural for the flagship models of every brand to be the ones that introduce new technology, but the S-Class was a bit of an overdose. It was a huge step forward for Mercedes-Benz, and it caught off-guard the other two major German competitors, who haven’t been able to come up with something more spectacular even a few years later.

But staying ahead requires a lot of work, and Mercedes-Benz is doing just that by readying the facelifted version of their range topper already, even though a launch sooner than 2017 would be a weird move from the Stuttgart-based car maker.

Since this is only the first time a testing vehicle has been spotted, it’s still too early to predict the plans Mercedes-Benz has for its luxury limousine, but judging by the low scale of modifications this facelift seems to bring, the car could probably be ready for a launch any minute.

There are very discreet visual alterations - so discreet, in fact, that the only ones we can spot relate to the S-Class’ headlights. The new graphics are more or less dictated by the Multibeam LED matrix technology, which will be used to light up the road at night over a greater distance without dazzling other motorists. The three LEDs stacked on top of each other on the outer edge of the light cluster are responsible for this, and they will also be able to light up pedestrians or wild animals near the side of the road to help prevent accidents.

The other end of the headlights features three LED strips that will act as the new daytime running lights, which means the new S-Class will come with a different visual identity for those who see it approaching in their rear view mirrors.

There is no revolution going on inside either, and that will make most of us blow a sigh of relief. The interior atmosphere of the S-Class cockpit was worthy of the best spas in the world, with ridiculous amounts of comfort and exquisite materials and finishes.

The facelift version will bring more of the same, but there are some minor tweaks that will help set the two models apart. For one thing, the two huge digital screens seem to have grown while the buttons separating them have also disappeared, giving more unity to the whole upper part of the dashboard. Mercedes-Benz should also try to offer a gesture control system similar to the one in this year’s BMW 7-Series, but there’s no official word on that yet. There is also a new steering wheel design that looks a bit sportier, with flappy paddles behind for when the driver wants to use the manual mode of the transmission - which is usually never.

Speaking of transmissions, the 9G-TRONIC automatic gearbox will certainly be featured on the new S-Class, but it might even make an early appearance on the current model, so it might not make it among the facelift novelties. The engines are still a mystery, but if late trends are anything to go by, we can expect Mercedes-Benz to stick with the same lineup with marginally better performance and lower emissions. There’s also a chance the Mercedes-AMG S63 version will get the new 4.0-liter twinturbo V8 plant in the GT (which we’ve seen how easily can be tuned to over 600 hp), but that’s only a speculation.

As the S-Class gets closer to its release date, we’ll probably have more information on this topic, so don’t go too far as we’ll be back with more.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Vlad Mitrache
Vlad Mitrache profile photo

"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories