Mercedes is getting ready to roll out an updated version of its S-Class flagship Jan. 29 and claims it’s changing a whopping 2,700 parts and components. Among other things, the sedan will add first-ever heated seatbelts.
A partially camouflaged version of the 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class update.
Mercedes-Benz wants to give a “warm hug” to the next generation of S-Class buyers — and it’s something millions of potential buyers facing the severe storms now sweeping across America will likely appreciate.
All told, the German automaker plans to make significantly more changes to the flagship sedan than one might typically expect midway through the normal product lifecycle. “This is not a regular facelift,” explained CEO Ola Kallenius in an interview with ABC News.
Among other things, there’ll be a lot more of the familiar Mercedes tri-stars from nose to tail. But what buyers may find particularly intriguing will be the industry’s first commercial use of heated seatbelts.
What’s new
Mercedes hasn’t said what changes it might make to the current S-Class drivetrain options — the PHEV shown here.
The current version of the S-Class, internally known as the W223, was unveiled in September 2020, going on sale early the next year. It’s obviously due for a mid-cycle update, but what’s coming is more than one might normally expect.
“We changed almost everything (in the update),” Kallenius told ABC News. “2,700 parts, 50% of the vehicle. This is not a regular facelift. This is a whole new car. Aesthetically, on the outside, we have refreshed the look of it, down to the little details like an illuminated standing star on the bonnet.”
Among other things, the updated sedan gets a new, illuminated version of the classic tri-star hood ornament. The grille grows 20% larger and integrates lit stars, as do the headlights and taillights.
Heated seatbelts
An infrared image from ZF, the supplier that developed the heated seatbelt, shows how it works.
But we expect that much of the conversation, once the 2027 S-Class debuts, will focus on the sedan’s new seatbelts, which, it says, will provide drivers a “warm hug.”
It’s likely the obvious next step as Mercedes has already heated the sedan’s seats, steering wheel, and even its armrests. And in a concept version the automaker previously demonstrated, the heating elements in the lap-shoulder-belt package should be able to go from 14 degrees Fahrenheit to body temperature in as little as 4 minutes.
But Mercedes claims there’s also a safety benefit to the concept. It hopes to encourage even the last anti-seatbelt holdouts to buckle up — and get those who already wear belts to pull them more snugly onto their bodies. In winter, it would like to encourage motorists to take off bulky winter jackets, for example. The tighter a belt is fitted to the body the more effective it becomes when there’s a crash.
We’ll have to wait to learn whether the heated belts will be offered as standard fare on the new S-Class. But don’t be surprised to see the system spread to other Mercedes products, especially its EVs. Climate control systems suck down power in the winter and, if such belts encourage a motorist to reduce the cabin temperature that would help boost range.
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Digital technology
Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Kallenius revealed the new S-Class will be basically an all-new vehicle.
For the moment, Mercedes officials aren’t saying much about the digital technology we’ll find in the updated S-Class. The automaker previously had indicated it’s working up an update to its Drive Pilot system, however. That’s currently the most advanced autonomous driving system available in the U.S. market for retail vehicles. It’s capable of Level 3, or “hands-free/eyes-off” motoring. In other words, a driver cannot only take their hands off the wheel but also watch videos or text, for example. They must still be ready to retake control in an emergency, however.
The current system, introduced by Mercedes in California, operates only at speeds up to 40 mph, primarily good for heavy traffic situations on limited-access roadways. The next step would be to allow it to work at highway speeds.
Meanwhile, Kallenius told ABC the new S-Class will get an updated version of the MB.OS digital operating system. It “has been designed from the ground up,” he explained. “Twenty-seven sensors know exactly what’s going on in the car the whole time. Mercedes’ virtual assistant is your own butler inside the car. You have the world at your fingertips, at your voice command.”
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