New 2026 Mercedes S-Class facelift: luxury limo redefines car tech
The definitive luxury limousine has been overhauled with significant changes inside, outside and under the metal
Calling world leaders, media moguls, business tycoons, A-list celebrities and high-net worth individuals everywhere! The new facelifted Mercedes S-Class has arrived and not only is it ready to effortlessly whisk you to your next board meeting, it’s basically a boardroom on wheels – with a fresh flat-plane V8 under the bonnet.
This isn’t an all-new generation of Mercedes’ globally recognised status symbol, however more than 50 per cent of the components on the Mk7 S-Class – around 2,700 – are either new or re-engineered for this updated version. So this is rather more than your average mid-life nip-and-tuck.
The revised S-Class has maintained its understated persona, but makes even more of a statement now because the already imposing grille is 20 per cent larger, adorned with dozens of tiny chrome three-pointed stars and illuminated.
The same is true of the three-pointed star on the bonnet, although the light-up emblem – which will be an optional extra – has been designed to avoid distracting or blinding the driver at night. New headlights with mirco-LED technology also incorporate the company’s iconic emblem, and there are another three stars in the new chrome-framed tail-lights.
Fresh wheel designs include brand-new, 20-inch 50-cross-spoke rims that we admired when Auto Express saw the refreshed S-Class at Mercedes’ headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany. They’re crafted using innovative high-pressure casting technology that allows for sharper contours and thinner spokes.
If you can't wait for the facelifted model to arrive in the UK, you can buy the current Mercedes S-Class through our Buy a Car service, with up to £8,500 off list prices.
Screens, screens, screens and more screens!
The transformation continues inside, where the simple portrait touchscreen found in the outgoing S-Class is gone, replaced by what Mercedes calls the Superscreen. Every new model will have a 14.4-inch central touchscreen and a 12.3-inch passenger display beneath a single piece of glass, plus a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
The redesigned centre console still features an exquisite wood finish, but there are now dual wireless charging pads. Meanwhile, physical rocker switches have been added to the steering wheel following customer feedback about the previous touch-sensitive panels.
Another new addition for 2026 are heated front seat belts, which offer “a soothing warmth of up to 44 degrees”, says Mercedes, for “a gentle, reassuring embrace.” They’re also supposed to encourage occupants to remove bulky jackets for optimal belt fit and improve crash safety.
As you’d only expect of an S-Class, the best seats in the house are in the back. Two wheelbases will be available again, with the 5.3-metre ‘Long’ models offering first-class levels of space and comfort for passengers, as we can attest after trying it ourselves.
The rear centre console now holds two detachable remotes, instead of a single tablet, which control, among other things, the new 13.1-inch displays. These seatback-mounted screens don’t match the spectacle of the BMW 7 Series’s 31-inch ‘Theatre Screen’ that descends from the roof, but they do come with HD cameras built-in for video conferencing.
There are more cameras up front that can be used to tune into not only meetings, but also Disney+ and other video streaming services when you’re done with business.
For the first time, you don’t have to have any cowhide in your S-Class. Instead, Mercedes offers a combination of textile made from linen and recycled plastic with finely grained artificial leather.
There’s literally a supercomputer in this car
That sea of screens in the new S-Class is running the very latest version of Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system, which features an AI-powered virtual assistant combining input from ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini to make interacting easier. The navigation system is also based on Google Maps, and the ‘zero layer’ interface offers the driver all the functions they regularly use or might want on the homescreen.
Powering all this technology, and more, in the S-Class is the new MB.OS operating system, which is referred to as the ‘superbrain’ of the car. This allows faster processing, greater computing power and over-the-air updates to create a more intuitive and personal experience for this car’s highly discerning customers.
On top of that, the new S-Class is equipped with a water-cooled supercomputer that will provide power for future features. Mercedes CEO Ola Källenius has said this car is ready for Level 4 autonomous driving and the company is apparently testing these systems on the streets already.
“The sky is the limit here,” he said, “from the most sophisticated driving-assistance systems where you’re still in control, but the car helps you negotiate any situation, to the car literally driving itself.” This is all still to come, though.
New V8 engine plus petrol, diesel and plug-in hybrid powertrains
Mercedes has made improvements to every powertrain in the S-Class line-up, with perhaps the biggest being a new flat-plane-crank V8 engine for the S 580 4Matic. The M 177 Evo delivers 530bhp and 750Nm of torque, available from as low as 2,500rpm, and features improved turbocharger housings and fuel injection system to make the motor more responsive, refined and efficient.
We had a chance to experience this V8 for ourselves during our time at Mercedes HQ. As well as being incredibly smooth – thanks in part to mild-hybrid assistance that allows for slick start-stop functionality – the engine emits a deep, almost muscle car-like burble that was unexpected from an S-Class, yet made it all the more satisfying to us.
The 375bhp S 450 4Matic and 443bhp S 500 4Matic get a six-cylinder petrol engine with an ‘overtorque’ function that summons 640Nm to assist when accelerating hard or overtaking, and Mercedes has added more insulation to increase the car’s refinement even further.
Meanwhile, the 308bhp S 350 d 4MATIC and 362bhp S 450 d 4MATIC feature a six-cylinder diesel that’s been developed to meet future emissions legislation. It also has the first electrically heated catalytic converter on a production car, to help clean harmful pollutants from the exhaust faster and more efficiently.
All of these engines will also come with mild-hybrid tech that, as well as the start-stop function, provides a small amount of boost, recuperates energy when the car slows down and allows for engine-off coasting. It doesn’t allow pure-electric driving, however.
For zero-emissions driving, there are two plug-in hybrid versions: the 429bhp S 450 e with EQ Hybrid Technology and the 577bhp S 580 e with EQ Hybrid Technology. These use an upgraded six-cylinder petrol engine, an electric motor and a 22kWh battery that offers up to 73 miles of pure-electric range – a few miles further than before – and power for the S 580 e specifically has increased by a healthy 74bhp.
There’s also a 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 in the line-up, although that’s only found in the armoured S 680 Guard 4Matic, which also has an aluminium outer skin and ballistic glass that provides the highest level of civilian protection. Handy for some.
You’ll notice there’s still no pure-electric version of the S-Class to replace the Mercedes EQS. As Auto Express revealed recently, the next generation of the luxury limousine will be the first offered with a choice of combustion or electric power, however the all-new Mk8 isn’t due to arrive until nearer the end of the decade.
Comfort-boosting intelligent suspension
In the meantime, a new ‘Intelligent Damper Control’ function for the suspension uses data collected from other Mercedes cars to anticipate potholes, speed bumps or imperfections in the road ahead. It can increase the damping rate up to 10 metres before larger imperfections to preserve the car’s luxurious ride comfort, while the driver will be alerted to small flaws in the road via the navigation system or an audible beep.
However, this function requires data from other models fitted with the same technology and MB.OS systems as the facelifted S-Class, such as the new GLC with EQ Technology, which has only just been launched. That means it might be a while until there are enough cars on the road providing the right data.
Air suspension is standard fit on every S-Class, but there is an optional 48-volt electrohydraulic suspension system that independently controls each wheel's damping for the ultimate comfort and stability. Similarly, 4.5-degree rear-axle steering comes as standard, but customers can upgrade to 10-degree steering, which cuts almost two metres out of the car's turning circle. Very helpful for turning around in front of The Savoy.
Pricing and personalisation
The new Mercedes S-Class should be available to order in the UK this summer with prices likely to start from over £100,000 – the same as the current model and its arch-rival, the BMW 7 Series.
With the new S-Class, Mercedes is also expanding its Manufaktur personalisation programme, which offers exclusive paint finishes such as Black Sparkling, which features glass flakes for a head-turning shimmer. Customers can add sublime leather options and handcrafted details as well.
If you want to go all out, the newly launched Manufaktur Made to Measure programme has been designed to allow the most discerning S-Class customers to create something even more distinctive, with more than 150 paint colours and over 400 interior colours to choose from.
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