2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Revealed

From an end consumer point of view, the reveal of the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class will only be relevant to relatively few wealthy individuals.

However, a new S-Class is an important moment for the automotive industry at large, as for more than 50 years Mercedes’ flagship has paved the way in terms of technology.

This is the car that debuted stability control, seatbelt pre-tensioners, brake assist, pre-safe technology, adaptive cruise control and all-LED lighting and while other manufacturers were technically first with anti-lock brakes, airbags and night vision, it was the S-Class that really made them work.

‍

Now, 140 years after Mercedes-Benz created the first car, it’s unveiled the latest evolution of its limousine.

Technically, it’s a mid-life facelift of the W223 that was introduced in 2020, but Mercedes claims more than 50 per cent of the parts have been re-engineered or newly developed.

There’s significantly more technology, greater safety and, as is typical for Mercedes at mid-life facelift time, the introduction of new engines.

Externally, you’ll be hard pressed to pick the new from the old, but there’s an illuminated grille with three-dimensional stars, three-pointed LED stars in the taillights and new 50-spoke wheels that we never, ever want to have to clean.

Revised headlights expand the field of illumination by 40 per cent and the ultra-range high beam, which can light up to 600 metres away, can now swivel to further improve vision.

The recently revealed MANUKAFTUR Made to Measure program allows customers to choose from 150 exterior and 400 interior colours along with various lighting, trim and badging options.

Under the bonnet there have been revisions to the existing inline six-cylinder petrol and diesel options, including improved plug-in hybrid capabilities, but the big news is the introduction of Mercedes’ 4.0-litre flat-plane crank V8.

Dubbed M177 Evo and built to meet the strictest emissions regulations, it’s expected to be rolled out across plenty of other Mercedes models and will be the primary engine for future AMG models.  

The key specifications for each powertrain are as follows:

• S 450: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol. 280kW/560Nm; 4.9sec 0-100; 9.0L/100km

• S 350d: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbodiesel. 230kW/650Nm; 5.4sec 0-100; 6.9L/100km

• S 450d: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbodiesel. 270kW/750Nm; 5.1sec 0-100; 6.9L/100km

• S 450e: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol hybrid. 320kW/680Nm; 5.7sec 0-100; 117km EV range

• S 500: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol. 330kW/600Nm; 4.5sec 0-100; 8.3L/100km

• S 580e: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo-petrol hybrid. 430kW/750Nm; 4.4sec 0-100; 103km EV range

• S 580: 4.0-litre V8 turbo-petrol. 395kW/750Nm; 4.0sec 0-100; 10.6L/100km

Other mechanical enhancements include intelligent damping, which can differentiate between small road irregularities and larger ones like speed bumps and prepare the suspension accordingly to minimise occupant disturbance.

The car can even use information sourced from other Mercedes vehicles to prepare itself thanks to Car-to-X technology uploading data to the Mercedes Cloud.

Rear-axle steering can now also apply up to 10° of lock which reduces the turning circle by two metres on long-wheelbase models.

But it’s technology where the new S-Class really makes large strides forward. It has self-driving ability in markets where regulations allow it – China first, then the US then Europe to follow – with 10 cameras, five radar sensors and twelve ultrasonic sensors working with artificial intelligence to constantly scan the world around the vehicle.

Up to 15 airbags are available, including a passenger knee airbag, seatbelt airbags and airbags to protect the rear occupants in the event of a frontal collision.

The Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS) uses a water-cooled supercomputer to function as the car’s brain, combining control of the MB.DRIVE vehicle systems and the MBUX infotainment.

MBUX incorporates ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini AI programs to allow for more natural conversations than the typical “Hey, Mercedes” commands and more than 40 apps can be installed for entertainment and convenience, including streaming and gaming.

Front occupants are faced with a wall of screens that dominated the dash, 12.3-inch displays for the driver and passenger flanking a 14.4-inch central screen.

One new feature is Surround Navigation, that’s able to establish a 3D representation of the car’s surroundings and provide real-time routing on the driver’s display, in addition to guidance in the head-up display.

Physical switches have been reintroduced on the steering wheel in response to customer feedback and there are twin wireless charging pads along with 100W USB-C fast charging.

In the rear, the four-seat first-class option in long-wheelbase variants is not a false boast, with reclining seats and extendable leg rests, fold-out tables, a refrigerated compartment, wireless and USB-C charging and a pair of 13.1-inch displays with HD cameras for video calls.  

All this is adjusted using a pair of remote controls to avoid having to exert onself. In addition to heated seats, armrests and steering wheel, heated seatbelts also appear for the first time.

An electric cabin filter ionises the air and is able to remove particles up to 1200 times smaller than a grain of salt, ensuring the cabin is purified every 90 seconds.

Local pricing and specifications – including the available variants – will be announced closer to the launch of the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class later this year.

‍