Mercedes-Benz Teases Upcoming Seventh-Generation S-Class
Giancarlo Perlas June 17, 2020
After pictures of the seventh generation Mercedes S-class limo appeared on Instagram earlier in March, fans have eagerly waited to see the official unveiling of the car. The hybrid-only limo is among the most awaited cars in 2020, promising some great upgrades from previous versions. Even better, the German automaker decided to give the fans a sneak preview in a single picture late last month.
Besides giving the fans a preview of the S-class limo, Mercedes confirmed that the flagship car would make its debut to the world during the second half of the year as originally scheduled. That’s despite recent rumors suggesting that the car’s world premiere might be delayed due to production disruptions caused by the ongoing economic crisis.
The partial unveiling of the seventh-generation full-size sedan came only a week after several spy photographs of the lightly disguised S-Class prototype appeared online. The pictures showed its exterior production and interior detail for the first time, making fans more eager to see the actual unveiling of the car.
The first official pictures of the S-Class sedan under internal codename W233 show the car’s conventional styling, along with several key elements. That includes angular headlamps featuring three projector beams and a prominent chromed grille that comes with three horizontal blades. It’s no wonder that the Mercedes Benz chairman describes the car as a “tech tour de force” that features the brainwork of the most creative and brightest minds in the automotive industry.
In the teaser image, the car appears to have headlights shaped in a design similar to the current CLS and updated E-class series vehicles. There are bead-like features in the lower edge, and that could support fancy matrix lighting functions that might be illegal in the US.
The reshaped grill comes with rounded upper corners and a sharper point at the base that looks similar to the current S-class car. However, the chrome decorations used are almost like the ones used on AMG versions. Additionally, the center part of the upper grille is lined with a camera and sensors that will support level 3 autonomous driving on highways under the right conditions.
According to chairman Ola Kallenius, the company has dedicated its resources to break new ground in needs-based electrification and artificial intelligence. These features are expected to give the new S-class sedan an edge over the rivaling BMW 7 and Audi-A8 series which will feature a range of drivetrain options. That includes a 48V mid-hybrid diesel and gasoline units, along with a variety of newly developed plug-in powertrains.
Mercedes is set to commence the commercial production of the new S-Class sedan in September in their Factory 56 located in Sindelfingen, Germany. The car will be joined by an EQS electric battery produced in the same facility next year. This electric battery will use CO2-neutral battery cells acquired from an undisclosed supplier. As such, the car will have enough power to clock at least 310 miles on its WLTP cycle, which is a great speed considering that the car will be using a 4.0-liter V8 twin-turbo engine.
