2026 Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift teased – W223 with “i-damping”, flat-plane V8, Level 4 autonomy

The current W223 Mercedes-Benz S-Class may not want for much, but that hasn’t stopped Stuttgart from trying to improve it – and improve it they did. The facelifted model will be revealed next week on January 29, and according to chairman and CEO Ola Källenius, this is the biggest mid-cycle refresh for the luxury sedan; around 2,700 parts (“more than 50% of the car,” he said) of the car have either been updated or are all new.

A series of significant changes are expected, including revised Airmatic suspension with new intelligent damping. This, Mercedes claims, delivers even greater comfort, particularly on long, undulating speed bumps. Källenius added that the system also uses crowdsourced data of surface imperfections via vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, allowing it to adjust the dampers before the bump is even reached.

Perhaps even more major is the reported inclusion of a flat-plane-crank V8 on the mild hybrid S580, which currently uses a version of AMG’s trademark 4.0 litre cross-plane unit. This is not news for Mercedes, of course, as it already offered such an engine in the AMG GT Black Series and builds it for the Aston Martin Valhalla – but its appearance on a series-production, non-AMG model is nevertheless noteworthy. Hopefully, it won’t sound like a turbo four-cylinder with a big exhaust, as the Black Series did.

According to Autocar, the switch was made to reduce emissions without sacrificing power, which has actually been bumped up from 503 PS on the outgoing model to 537 PS. It’s likely that the full-fat AMG S63 will make the switch too, although whether it will retain its E Performance plug-in hybrid system remains to be seen. Straight-six models are understood to be returning, including the S580e PHEV sold in Malaysia.

On the outside, the new S-Class will adopt Mercedes’ latest design language, for better or for worse. This includes the polarising (over) use of the three-pointed star graphic, including four in the headlights and taillights alone – and, for the first time on models with the bonnet-mounted star, the grille as well.

Speaking of which, the bonnet ornament is now illuminated, as is the grille outline. The centre opening, now hexagonal in shape, is made even bigger and appears to feature an even more prominent chrome surround, clearly taking a page out of the new electric GLC‘s shiny proboscis.

Inside, the S-Class appears to be as plush as ever, especially at the back where the camouflaged prototype in an official video sports individual power-adjustable seats with headrest pillows and built-in ottomans. At the front, meanwhile, the new car will feature physical steering wheel buttons and dials to replace the existing model’s much-maligned capacitive controls.

As for the tech, the S-Class is set to gain the latest Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS), incorporated front to back for the first time. This is supported by a “complete new” digital architecture and software stack that enables several new features.

The most important of these is the even more comprehensive suite of driver assistance systems, with Källenius even promising support for Level 4 fully-autonomous driving. He said that the company is currently performing the first pilot tests of the system on public roads, although as is usual for such features, gaining country certification will be the biggest hurdle.

Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.