[5/13/2020] 2021 Merecedes S-Class 'LEAKED'

A breakthrough at last. After gazing over countless of spy shots of the heavily camouflaged 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class we finally get up close in personal with the latest leaks. Thanks to recent photos of the lightly disguised W223 shared on Instagram and Twitter, we now have our clearest view of the next-gen S-Class that's expected to make its official debut sometime in summer 2020.

Sporting a heavily updated and very sleek looking interior, a giant infotainment screen now dominates the center stack. The almost Tesla-sized display sits below the center air vents, rather than above them as in previous years, and most of the physical buttons have been removed. The driver will still get a digital cluster, but the W223-generation has the display mounted as a tablet-style screen behind the steering wheel instead of the inset screen featured in the 2020 model. The shots also appear to show a large opening behind the screen, which could be for a head-up display. 

Exterior updates for the new S-Class are less dramatic. The grille is slightly larger and the headlights are a bit slimmer than the current model, both of which work together to give the new car a sleeker look up front. Around back, the chrome strip that previously only ran the width of the trunk lid now stretches from side to side above the taillights.

The V12 engine from Mercedes' current S-Class lineup is expected to remain in place for the range-topping models, while some form of hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrain should join the lineup elsewhere. The new S-Class is also expected to pack Level 3 semi-autonomous driving features.

• Teague, C. (2020, May 12). 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Leak: Going Big On Screens Inside. Retrieved May 15, 2020, from https://www.thedrive.com/news/33429/2021-mercedes-benz-s-class-leak-going-big-on-screens-inside