Wraps are off Merc's hi-tech new S-Class limo

The definitive luxury limousine has been overhauled with significant changes inside, outside and under the metal

- Ellis Hyde

THE facelifted Mercedes S-Class has arrived. And while this isn’t an all-new generation of the car, more than 50 per cent of the components – around 2,700 – are either new or re-engineered.

The already imposing grille is 20 per cent larger, adorned with dozens of three-pointed stars and illuminated around its edge. The same is true of the three-pointed star on the bonnet, although the light-up emblem will be an option. New headlights with micro-LED tech also incorporate the company’s emblem, and there are more stars in the new taillights.

The changes continue inside, where the portrait touchscreen in the outgoing S-Class is replaced by a ‘Superscreen’ setup. Every model will have a 14.4-inch touchscreen and a 12.3-inch passenger display beneath a single piece of glass, plus a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.

That sea of screens runs the latest version of Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment system. This features an AI-powered virtual assistant combining inputs from ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini, while the Merc’s navigation system is based on Google Maps.

Powering all this technology, and many of the S-Class’ other electronic elements, is a new ‘superbrain’. This centralised system is similar to the one in the new GLC, and with its extra computing power can support faster processing and over-the-air updates.