Bolder, or Blander? Upcoming Mercedes-Benz S-Class Apparently Spied

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

A Spanish Instagram account seemingly leaked photos of an uncovered next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class late Tuesday, showing off the flagship’s new face and caboose and revealing something far more noteworthy: a screen-heavy cockpit that throws tradition to the wind.

Not that the previous S-Class’ cabin was overly festooned with traditional buttons or dials. Still, the new layout takes cockpit digitization to the next level, placing a massive touchscreen where the center stack should be, and adding an expansive digital gauge display ahead of the steering wheel. It’s this feature (which is paired with a secondary screen further up the dash) that comes across as awkward, given that the screen stands alone, rather than ensconcing itself in a traditional housing.

Unlike the Widescreen Cockpit of the new A-Class, the separate screens seen here provide less of a cohesive look. Aside from that, the dash itself aims for futuristic and minimalist. Compare with the current-gen S-Class below:

Moving back outside, the front fascia of the W223 is blunter, more upright than the angled front ends of current and past S-Classes. Lower air openings grow in size, as does, seemingly, the grille. Some online pundits pointed out the fascia’s vague resemblance to the pre-refresh Genesis G90 — a connection this writer couldn’t help but notice, either.

Out back, the taillights move to a horizontal alignment, adopting a pinched design reminiscent of the CLS-Class (and, to some eyes, the Lexus ES). Details about the car’s bodyside sculpting will have to wait.

Expected to debut officially late this year, going on sale as a 2021 or 2022 model, the next-generation S-Class is believed to source its power from a mild-hybrid inline-six or an obligatory V8.

[Images: CocheSpias/Instagram, Daimler AG]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Texex Texex on May 14, 2020

    Oh, MB. What are you doing? This looks like a mashup of a Genesis and a Tesla.

  • CincyDavid CincyDavid on May 15, 2020

    MB screwed the pooch when they tried to "out-Lexus" Lexus and now they are trying to "out Hyundai/Genesis" Hyundai...MB excelled with the relatively simple, bank-vault solid cars and when they went crazy with tufted/ruched leathers and unreliable electronics they lost it. There's a reason we have Asian electronics in our homes and not German...Asian companies are better at that sort of thing. This poor thing looks so generic and derivative, it's pathetic.

  • MaintenanceCosts It's not a Benz or a Jag / it's a 5-0 with a rag /And I don't wanna brag / but I could never be stag
  • 3-On-The-Tree Son has a 2016 Mustang GT 5.0 and I have a 2009 C6 Corvette LS3 6spd. And on paper they are pretty close.
  • 3-On-The-Tree Same as the Land Cruiser, emissions. I have a 1985 FJ60 Land Cruiser and it’s a beast off-roading.
  • CanadaCraig I would like for this anniversary special to be a bare-bones Plain-Jane model offered in Dynasty Green and Vintage Burgundy.
  • ToolGuy Ford is good at drifting all right... 😉
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