Among the monied folk, luxury SUVs are the big thing these days, literally and figuratively. Still, nothing whispers old money and wealth like a full-sized sedan. For decades, the de facto king and go-to was none other than the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
The current S-Class was first introduced in September 2020, the sixth-generation model officially under the Sonderklasse line. Of course, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class lineage goes beyond the first one launched in 1972, dating all the way back to the late ‘50s with the ‘Fintail’ models.
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With the latest S-Class now reaching its fourth year in production, that makes it ripe for a bit of a facelift. Besides, German car production cycles typically run for seven years, so it’s about time, too. So what has Mercedes-Benz done to its flagship sedan? On the surface, it seems like it’s not much.
If you’re trying to look for changes to the exterior, we’ll spare you the eye strain. The only thing new here is the addition of two color choices, namely Verde Silver Metallic and Velvet Brown Metallic, as seen here. Believe us, those are the only new things from the outside.
What about the inside, then? If you prefer sitting in front in the S-Class (the back seat is the place to be, to be honest), then you’re in for a treat. The new one comes with redesigned front head restraints for greater comfort. That’s thanks to the additional cushioning that’s been given to the car. And yes, the rear passengers have their own pillows, too.
As far as minor updates go, the 2025 Mercedes-Benz S-Class doesn’t seem to even be a half step forward. Even the entire powertrain options list is carried over from before, mixing a range of turbopetrol, diesel, and hybrid power. However, if you look at the tech front, there’s where the meat of the story lies.
For starters, there’s a passenger reminder after shutting off the car. Big deal, even non-luxury brands have them these days. But what most cars don’t have is something called Automatic Lane Change. Bundled with Active Distance Assist and Active Steering Assist, the car can perform an overtaking maneuver by itself once certain parameters are met. Mind you, this function is only activated on expressways, and it’s for the European market only as far as we can tell.
Also new for the ’25 model year are a few tweaks to the MBUX infotainment system. Mercedes-Benz says it’s easier and more intuitive to use now, especially for the assisted parking features. Pre-installation of the Digital Key is standard, depending on the market.
For those hoping for more changes, they will have to wait for the 2026 model year of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class to get those. For that, we might see visible changes to the exterior, along with more software updates inside and, possibly, a higher degree of semi-autonomous driving capabilities.
