W223 Mercedes S-Class Prototype Spied in German Traffic

A day after being filmed in Northern Sweden, the W223 prototype was also captured in Daimler's home town of Stuttgart. Obviously, it's not the same car, but you know what we mean.

Rumors suggest the entire S-Class range will change drastically. They are going to make the extended wheelbase standard while the Coupe and Cabrio will be deleted. But fear not. By our calculations, the current models have about three years of life left in them, while the replacement is probably going to pull at your nostalgia strings, just like BMW did with the 8 Series. That's right, the SEC nameplate from the 80s might come back.

Also, the S-Class range will be bolstered by the EQS, a flagship luxury EV with a four-door coupe style. It's only been spied once, though.

Getting back the prototype at hand, it's one of the weirdest we've seen in a while. It's still got those bolts going through the headlights, no badge and a black plastic box sticking out of the bottom of the grille. Obviously, the S-Class, like all Mercedes sedans, doesn't necessarily need to have a big badge in the middle. The Elegance line does without this feature, for example.

With the 2020/2021 S-Class, designers are looking to make something that looks like a natural athlete, not strained, but sporty. Thus, the body is going to be wider and low, with a more pronounced curve in the roof. Longer taillights will give the back a broader appearance, while flush fitting door handles (hiding under those black boxes) will make it as slippery as a fish.