2018 Mercedes S-Class facelift revealed

The latest generation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class has received a facelift ahead of its debut at the 2017 Shanghai Motor Show. The facelift spans across the regular, AMG and the Maybach variants of the Mercedes flagship.

Many camouflaged appearances were made by the S-Class in the recent past which lead to the rise of a ton of rumours regarding the visual updates. As it is fully revealed, we can see that the changes are subtle but significant enough to refresh the 4-year-old design of the W222 S-Class. The front and rear fascias of all the variants are reworked. The V6 and V8 models are now fitted with a special grill that was exclusive to the V12 model in the past. The Maybach models will have more chrome slapped on it along with a few more Maybach logos. The optional LED Intelligent Light System adds LED headlamps that are capable of delivering Ultra Wide Beam high beams which work in tandem with the Road Surface Scan and curve-tilting functions. The taillamps are LED units as well. Two new 20-inch wheel designs are also added.

More changes can be found under the hood as the S-Class receives a flurry of new engines which starts with the biturbo 3.0-litre V6 that produces 362 hp. The bigger S560 and Maybach gets a biturbo 4.0-litre V8 good for 463 hp. The AMG S63 ditches the 5.5-litre V8 for a more powerful variant of the same 4.0-litre V8 engine which churns out a massive 603 hp. Cylinder deactivation is also available to improve fuel economy. An AMG Speedshift MCT 9-speed automatic hustles the S 63 from 0-100 kph in around 3.5 seconds. The biturbo 6.0-litre V12 in the S65 perseveres in spite of the constricting emission regulations.

For the interior, a new three-spoke steering wheel featuring smartphone-like touch control buttons replaces the old two-spoke unit. Two new wood trims and 64-colour ambient LED lighting has been added to the brochure. The dual 12.3-inch displays on the dashboard combined by a single glass panel are controlled by a touch panel in the centre console. A voice control option is also available at your disposal. A new system called Energizing Comfort tweaks every system in the S-Class’s interior to toggle between 10 different “moods” in order to comfort the driver.

Safety systems for the 2018 S-Class has been updated with a refreshed Active Emergency Stop Assist system which will brake the car safely to a halt if the driver does not respond when the Intelligent Drive is engaged. The new S-Class can also read speed limits using image recognition of speed signs and alerts the drivers when they exceed the limit. It also adjusts the speed when it approaches a bend or intersection.

The 2018 S-Class should arrive in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other GCC countries early next year.