- The current-gen S-Class will receive a mid-life update in 2026, maintaining current engine options and introducing design upgrades.
The Mercedes-Benz S-Class will receive a mid-life update in the first half of 2026. The German carmaker recently announced that its range-topping ultra-luxury sedan will get major upgrades in the form of a facelift. Although a new-generation S-Class with both combustion and electric powertrains is in the pipeline, the current-generation model will stick to the plan and retain the same engine options currently available. The 2026 S-Class will be part of the luxury brand’s biggest-ever product campaign with “dozens of new or refreshed models to reach markets until 2027.”
The upcoming Mercedes-Benz S-Class facelift will be based on the same platform as before and is expected to continue offering the same engine options. These may include the 3.0-litre six-cylinder diesel engine rated for 286 bhp and 600 Nm of torque and a 3.0-litre mild-hybrid petrol unit that can make a combined 381 bhp and 500 Nm of torque. The range-topping Mercedes-AMG S63 E Performance is also expected to receive the same updates alongside its 4.0-litre V8 biturbo powerplant that makes a whopping 802 bhp and 900 Nm of torque.
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Most of the changes will be on the design front which may include new headlamps, air intakes, and an updated front bumper design. The 2026 S-Class is likely to get cabin upgrades, including a revamped dashboard with a Hyperscreen display such as the one found on the EQS all-electric sedan.
For the next generation of the S-Class, Mercedes will develop both ICE-powered and all-electric iterations. The ICE version will be built on a platform for cars with combustion engines but the S-Class EV will be based on a dedicated platform. As a result, the latter cannot be considered an electric equivalent and is expected to replace the EQS.
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Mercedes-Benz to continue making ICE-powered cars into the next decade:
Mercedes-Benz is investing heavily in the development of combustion engines after scaling down its overly ambitious EV plans. In 2021, the carmaker stated that plug-in hybrids and battery-electric vehicles would make up half of the brand’s total sales by 2025. Three years later, Mercedes released new projections for investors that say EVs and PHEVs would account for up to 50 per cent of total sales by 2030. The statement was followed with a caveat that the projections will be limited to “only where market conditions allow.”
In that document, Mercedes continued by stating that it would go on catering to different customer preferences till well into the 2030s. That is to say, the carmaker will continue to sell cars with combustion engines in the next decade.
In 2024, Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius said the carmaker is investing much more in updating the ICE-powered S-Class than it usually spends on traditional facelifts. Combustion engines have to be regularly updated over the years to meet increasingly stringent emissions standards. The German carmaker is expected to update all relevant combustion engines for the upcoming Euro 7 norms, including those of the 2026 S-Class facelift.
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First Published Date: 27 Feb 2025, 13:02 PM IST
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