Mercedes-Benz teases seventh-generation 2021 S-Class

Daimler CEO Ola Källenius sat down for a 20-minute interview on “Meet Mercedes Digital,” dishing ever so slightly on the 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class and all-electric EQS sedans, and showing one teaser photo of each. The internet has already uncorked barely camouflaged images of the seventh-generation S-Class exterior and a video pan of the interior.  With a debut slated for sometime around September, Mercedes is ready to begin the official S-Class buildup, giving us clear glimpses of elements on the segment leader. The teaser image shows a headlight shaped like the units introduced on the current CLS and updated for the just-facelifted E-Class, with three projector beams. Bead-like features inside the lower edge of the housing could enable fancy matrix lighting functions that won’t be legal in the U.S.

The reshaped grill adopts rounded upper corners and a slightly sharper point at its base, above a lower intake shaped near to that of the current standard S-Class, but with chrome decoration akin to that on AMG versions of the current sedan. We’ve seen prototypes with familiar A-wing styling, though, so expect a number of grille treatments depending on the model. The center section of the upper grille is lined with sensors and a camera that will enable Level 3 autonomous driving on the highway, provided conditions warrant, part of what Källenius says makes the new sedan “a technological tour de force.” There’s also rumor that the seventh-gen W223 S-Class will only come in a long-wheelbase flavor.

The boss said the flagship also represents “a completely new level in terms of artificial intelligence and needs-based electrification.” We don’t know yet what that means for the interior beyond a new evolution of the MBUX infotainment system. But behind the front fascia, the S-Class is rumored to offer a range of electrified powertrains that will see even base models graced with 48-volt mild-hybrid systems. Entry-level mills are thought to be either a 3.0-liter inline-six gasoline engine or 2.9-liter inline-six diesel depending on market. A plug-in hybrid trim available from launch could do as many as 62 miles on electric power, and an updated 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 will also be on the menu.

The EQS is also slated for reveal this year, going into production at the same Factory 56 flexible facility as the S-Class, in Sindelfingen, Germany. The battery-electric model will fit a battery with CO2-neutral cells with a capacity great enough to permit a range of at least 310 miles on the WLTP cycle, powering motors with more than 400 combined horsepower. It will be counterpoint to the all-electric EQA also due for debut this year.

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