Mercedes S-Class gets a MAJOR makeover for 2026

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class gets a major makeover for 2026, with much new tech, styling updates and a new interior.

It’s getting on for six years since the current Mercedes S-Class arrived as Mercedes’ new flagship, so the time is right for a new S-Class to keep Mercedes ahead of the competition. And here it is.

In reality, this isn’t a new S-Class but a makeover of the current model, although Mercedes claims that more than half of the components are either new or re-engineered. So the new S-Class is a bit more than a mid-life facelift.

The obvious bit of the update is the tweaks to the exterior, with a new, bigger grille with a pile of little three-pointed stars, new alloys and new headlights, with the interior coming with Mercedes three-screen ‘Superscreen’, heated seatbelts to warm you quicker and an all-new electrical system delivering more refined ADAS and more.

Under the skin, the new S-Class comes with adaptive air suspension as standard, which notes potholes and dodgy tarmac for the next time you encounter them and adjusts the suspension accordingly, as well as four-wheel steering.

Engine options will be much the same – with tweaks for refinement – with S350d and AWD S450d diesels, perol AWD S500 and a pair of PHEVs – S450e and S580e. All are six-pot offerings.

There is a new flat-plane-crank V8 engine for the S 580 4Matic, but we’re unlikely to see that in the UK, at least until the AMG versions of the new S-Class arrive. There’s also a 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 option, but that’s only for the armoured S 680 Guard 4Matic.

Orders for the new S-Class open today (30 January 2026), and although we have no UK prices yet, even the cheapest new S-Class will start at over £100k.