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2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class W223 Prototype Gives Short Peep Inside Itself

Even though it has been continuously crowned as the best-selling luxury car with each iteration, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class will probably raise some eyebrows when its seventh generation gets unveiled by the end of this year.
2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class W223 13 photos
Photo: Walko Art/YouTube screenshot
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Those raised eyebrows might correlate with increased sales courtesy of younger rich folks, as Mercedes-Benz is betting or a reversal of its fortunes because most of its traditional, slightly older customers, aren't the most tech-inclined people out there.

We say this mainly because of the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class W223 interior, which will show a complete departure from the old-world and somewhat old-fashioned interiors of its predecessors. To put things into perspective, there will be an almost complete lack of analog buttons or knobs inside the W223 S-Class, save for a couple of exceptions such as the steering-wheel-mounted gear lever and the hazard lights button.

Pretty much everything else in the car will be controlled via touch or voice, with most of the center console making room for a giant touchscreen with haptic feedback that cascades in between the two front seats.

Mercedes' own research into the matter has revealed that a constant multitude of fingerprints on your center console is less important than decreasing the average age of S-Class owners, which is currently hovering at around 65 years old.

The exterior will be less of a design revolution, albeit the overall looks will jump on the “ginormous grille and slim headlights” bandwagon compared to the current generation and some models will get hidden door-handles that retract when not in use.

Massive electrification across the board is expected on the powertrain side, where an assortment of mild-hybrid, full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of gasoline and diesel engines will be offered.

The old V12 will live to see another day in the Mercedes-Maybach variants, possibly accompanied by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system for reducing emissions. Stuttgart-based videographer Walko-Art recently got close and personal with two pre-production W223s, one of which is a Maybach. The regular S-Class also shows a sneak peek at its cream and almost button-less interior. Most of it is covered in camouflage tarp but every detail is in line with previous spyshots.

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About the author: Alex Oagana
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Alex handled his first real steering wheel at the age of five (on a field) and started practicing "Scandinavian Flicks" at 14 (on non-public gravel roads). Following his time at the University of Journalism, he landed his first real job at the local franchise of Top Gear magazine a few years before Mircea (Panait). Not long after, Alex entered the New Media realm with the autoevolution.com project.
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