When Mercedes-Benz overhauls one of its core models, it doesn’t mess around, and the next due for a replacement is the flagship S-class sedan. While the all-new 2012 S-class likely won’t make its official debut until the next Frankfurt auto show in fall of 2011, these spy shots of an early prototype roaming the roads in Germany provide a nice sneak peek.
The tack-on body panels and placeholder lighting elements on this prototype obscure many of the details that will define the next S-class, but there is plenty that the camo does not hide. The profile and proportions remain similar to those of the current car, but we expect it to have an inch or so more space between the axles on both short- and long-wheelbase models. This LWB version looks taller than today’s S-class, and the arching roofline appears to unwind over the rear windows a touch more than it does on today’s stretched S. Beneath the cladding, the body sides will have flowing contours and the sweeping fender treatment from the current E-class and the upcoming 2011 CLS-class. Unlike those models, however, the stately sedan eschews the chopped-greenhouse look in favor of a high ceiling and huge windows that remind us a lot of the slab-sided S-class of the 1990s. Well, and the Popemobile.
Now, while the camo also preempts our ability to accurately predict the front-end styling, we think this S-class is going to make a larger leap in that area than did its slowly evolved predecessors. Expect, as is the fashion these days, copious amounts of LED lights rendered in some “brand-defining” pattern. (Don’t be fooled by the LEDs on this prototype, though, as they came off a current S-class). We think the front end could take a lot of inspiration from the radical F700 concept from 2007. Our final design predictions: A clamshell-style hood up front (thus aligning it with most other Mercedes-Benz models) as well as a more graceful, less-bustle-backed trunk.
Of course, the next S-class will also evolve under the skin. Power for U.S.-bound models will likely come from a variety of familiar sources, including Mercedes’ stalwart 3.5-liter V-6, 5.0-liter V-8 (possibly turbocharged), and 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-12 engines. A plethora of efficiency- and performance-related enhancements developed by the company’s egghead engineers are sure to be available, too. One or two AMG versions are sure bets, but, Mercedes, if you’re listening, is it too late to suggest that the next S63 AMG have a little more edge this time around? On the other end of the performance spectrum, though equally welcome, will be the planned S500 plug-in hybrid in place of today’s mild-hybrid S400.
While these spy shots don’t give us much of a view inside the car (in spite of those big windows), the 2012 S-class will undoubtedly contain as many luxury, driver assistance, and technology features as Air Force One, including updated versions of Mercedes’ most recent suite of safety innovations. (Look for a lot of technologies with a “Tronic” and a “Plus” added to their names. And maybe autopilot.) One piece that we hear will disappear is the large, two-dimensional gauge-cluster screen; in its place, expect traditional gauges and small info screens.
The 2010 E-class is being touted by the brand as the most technologically advanced car it has built—at least until the 2010 S-class arrives. The S-class flagship is likely to be the safest, most comfortable, most opulent Mercedes-Benz ever, but in which respects it will be truly revolutionary versus merely evolutionary remains to be seen.
Thanks to: Car and Driver