No generation of Mercedes-Benz S-Class has ever had such a major midlife facelift as this. It’s not just about the face, wherein departing design chief Gorden Wagener’s preferred embiggening of grilles and ensparkliment of LEDs reach their peak. The engineering has had a significant go-over as well. If they’re positive changes, that’s quite something, because the S-Class was already the best sedan in the world.
The new grille visually smears into the headlamps. Those lamps themselves deliver more fine-tuned illumination according to the conditions, and then the grille is spangled with Mercedes stars. In most countries, you can have an illuminated hood emblem, too.
The car’s whole electrical operating system is new. It’s the same basic system as introduced in the electric CLA. That’s a rare example of trickle-up at Merc—usually, the S-Class gets new tech first. We’ve found the CLA’s interface to be easy to operate and graphically satisfying.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
BYD to send Alden Richards, Nico Bolzico, and more to Ironman 70.3 Davao
Puma and McLaren Racing collaborate for new clothing line
The new OS has connected systems that also allow more refined ADAS—and in China, something resembling autonomous driving. That, too, is prevented elsewhere by the laws.
More useful is that the adaptive air suspension, standard-fit, sends a note to the Mercedes cloud when you hit a pothole, big dip, or crest. Then the next new S-Class to drive down that road—or you when you pass that way again—will have its damping setup to best cope with the disturbance beneath.
In other chassis news, some markets will now have four-wheel steering as standard.
The engines have been marginally tweaked for urge and refinement, but the basic range is likely to be as before. In the UK, for example, it’s all straight-sixes: The diesels will be S350 and 4WD S450d, then gasoline 4WD S500, and PHEVs S450e and 4WD S580e. The PHEV ones have an electric range of around 96km.
For a V8, you need to wait for the AMG, and for a V12, the Maybach—or, if you think someone really doesn’t like you, the armored one.
The cabin has a new dash. To nobody’s great surprise, the screens are bigger, squeezing the air vents into a long, slim strip. So they’re now electrically directed, which we find very annoying in other cars, but maybe the Mercedes auto system gets it right.
More on the climate. Mercedes doesn’t want you wearing a bulky coat as it reduces the effectiveness of the seat belts in a crash. So instead, the belt itself is heated, to keep your chest and belly toasty while the heated seat and steering wheel take care of your back, bum, and hands.
Prices are still up in the air, but as always, more as we get it.
More photos of the 2026 Mercedes-Benz S-Class:
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
