It’s been six years since the fifth-generation Mercedes-Benz E-Class was unveiled at the 2016 North American International Auto Show, and two years since its facelifted version was introduced. With that, the production run of the present generation of the series appears to have already gone full circle. That has been confirmed, albeit unofficially, by recent spy videos showing the prototype of its successor.

The latest content by walkoARTvideos here shows a Mercedes prototype in full zebra camouflage. It’s still hard to see what’s beneath the cover, but looking at its form, the test car is definitely that of the E-Class W214 because its dimensions are a lot like the current W213 body of the range and the auto is slightly longer than the current C-Class in wheelbase and length. We can see new headlamps peeking on the narrow slits in front of the vehicle, too.

For now, however, the overall visual of the cues shown by the bulges and dents of the prototype is still unreliable. That’s due to the obvious presence of some paddings in some areas beneath the wrap that are intended to conceal the car’s true shape.

The next-gen E-Class will likely benefit from the same engine used by the C-Class. That’s a 2.0-liter inline-four with an output of over 255 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque configured with a mild-hybrid setup to aid its acceleration.

This next-gen Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W214) is expected to make its debut sometime next year or early 2024 since the facelifted version of the current generation of the car only came out last year.