2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Not all face-lifts are successful, and the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is proof. Yes, Merc's flagship benefits from powerful new engines, updated driver assistance tech, a cloud-connected adaptive suspension and fancy new features like heated seat belts. But after getting up close and personal with the new S-Class in Germany, I can't get past the gaudy new styling and the cabin's overreliance on screens. Much of the new S-Class is better, but there's just as much that's worse.

It sort of looks like a Nissan Altima

That might sound harsh, but just look at that front end and tell me you don't see the resemblance. The current S-Class is an incredibly stately and handsome sedan. But now that Mercedes has embiggened the grille, given it black lipstick, and added a zillion stars all over the place, the 2027 S-Class is shouty and blingy in a way it absolutely should not be.

Like the current E-Class sedan, the S-Class' fascia has a ring of gloss black around the headlights and grille no matter which exterior color you choose — and that's true even if you go for one of the company's exclusive Manufaktur paint options. What's harder to see in some photos is the array of little star logos embedded in the grille. Most of them are made of metal, but the ones on the black panel that covers the S-Class' forward-facing radars are painted, and up close, there's a stark difference between these treatments.

Mercedes' chairman of the board, Ola Källenius, told me the new S-Class is all about "understated luxury." But that's kind of hard to believe when there are little M-B logos everywhere and a lit-up hood ornament. Like the new CLA sedan, star designs make up the S-Class' daytime running lights. The grille surround is illuminated too.

Happily, the rest of the S-Class remains mostly the same. The profile is as elegant as before, and there are new 19-, 20- and 21-inch wheel designs. The sedan's rump was mostly left alone as well, save for the stars in the taillights — another carryover element from the E-Class and other recent Mercs.

The Superscreen is standard

One of my favorite things about the current S-Class is that it doesn't have a massive expanse of digital real estate and instead lets great colors and materials shine — that's real luxury. Now, though, Merc's dashboard-spanning Superscreen — the one found in the electric EQS — is standard.

The Superscreen combines a 12.3-inch gauge cluster, a 14.4-inch central screen and a 12.3-inch passenger display. But unlike the company's new Hyperscreen, which debuted in the GLC EV, the Superscreen doesn't offer a seamless pillar-to-pillar experience. The individual screens are broken up by big sections of, well, nothing. Even the digital experience in the new entry-level CLA sedan — which is confusingly also called Superscreen — puts its individual displays next to each other to give the appearance of it being one all-encompassing screen. The tech in Mercedes' largest and most expensive sedan is outshined by what's available in its cheapest and smallest.

On the bright side, the S-Class benefits from Mercedes' new MB.OS multimedia platform, which brings features like Google Maps and AI-assisted search into the car. The AI assistant works well — I've tried the MB.OS interface in the new CLA — and lets you ask questions about things around you thanks to the Google Maps data.

Rear seat passengers are treated to screens of their own; there are 13.1-inch displays mounted to the front seatbacks. You can operate these screens via remote controls now, and there are HD cameras built in, so you can take Zoom or Microsoft Teams calls on the go, because god forbid we ever get disconnected from work.

Enjoy a hug from a heated seat belt

The S-Class will continue to be a benchmark of comfort; I nearly fell asleep while stretching out in the power-adjustable, heated, massaging rear seats. Two different high-end Burmester stereos are available, and 100-watt USB-C charging ports are available for all passengers to keep your smart-whatevers juiced up.

Here's a nifty new feature: heated seat belts. These are linked to the seat heaters but are optional. Mercedes says these provide a "reassuring embrace" for front passengers. I bet it'll feel like a nice warm hug on a cold day, though a conversation with a female colleague did involve the phrase "boob sweat," so I guess we'll see.

Rides like a dream

After showing me the 2027 S-Class, Mercedes-Benz drove me around in a camouflaged prototype to show off the new cloud-connected chassis tech. (Side note: Can you really call a gold-wrapped car "camouflaged?") I won't rehash what I already told you in that story; the new suspension effectively uses GPS data to remember road blemishes and stores the information in the cloud. This means that not only can the S-Class' suspension automatically adjust for that gross stretch of broken pavement you drive over on your way to work each day, it can send the data to other Mercedes-Benz models equipped with this tech. It's pretty cool.

S 500, S 580 and a plug-in hybrid

Three powertrains will initially be offered when the S-Class goes on sale later this year, all of which are updated versions of what's found in the current sedan. Mega-powerful AMG variants will undoubtedly come online shortly thereafter, and I fully expect a V12 engine option to remain for Maybach customers as well.

In the S 500 4Matic, a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine produces 442 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. There's also an integrated starter-generator — a mild hybrid system that provides supplemental power for initial acceleration or midrange punch — that provides as much as 23 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque when needed. With all-wheel drive, Mercedes estimates a 0-to-60-mph time of 4.3 seconds for the S 500, which isn't bad for a 4,861-pound sedan.

If that isn't enough, there's also the S 580 4Matic, which uses the same mild hybrid system but pairs it with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8. Here, the S-Class offers 530 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque, reducing the 0-to-60-mph time to an estimated 3.9 seconds. Like the S 500, a nine-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive are standard.

There's also the S 580e 4Matic; that "e" stands for "electric." You get the same 3.0-liter inline-six as the S 500, with 442 hp and 413 lb-ft of torque. But instead of the mild hybrid system, there's a 22-kWh battery pack powering an electric motor that delivers 161 hp and 354 lb-ft. Combined system output is a healthy 576 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. Mercedes hasn't released electric-only driving range estimates, but the current S 580e is EPA-rated to travel 48 miles solely on battery power.

For better and for worse

Despite these more powerful engines, extra creature comforts and AI-assisted tech, the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class doesn't really feel like an improvement to me. Many of the things that make the current S-Class great are left intact, but it's so much uglier than before, and the standard Superscreen setup really takes away from this full-size sedan's interior being a cocoon of elegance and luxury.

More S-Class news is coming soon; the aforementioned AMG and Maybach variants will be launched in due time. Pricing is also TBD right now, but I expect the new S-Class to start around $120,000, which is a few thousand dollars more than the current car. Look for the 2027 S-Class to arrive in the second half of 2026.