A few months ago, we saw a new Mercedes-Benz S-Class testing and its interior, with just a single vertical screen, was clearly going to be different from current models. But we sure weren't expecting the mega-sized infotainment screen found on this prototype. It takes up the entire center stack, and nothing borders it. There aren't any vents or knobs or switches. The only bank of buttons are at the bottom, and even those look like they feature some sort of touch functionality
We're very interested to see how this screen works out, both from a visual and functional standpoint, since we can see some potential hurdles. For one thing, that's a really glossy screen at a relatively shallow angle, and that sounds like a recipe for some terrible glare. This screen is going to be a serious fingerprint magnet, too. The screen's size has also forced the air vents to the very top of the dash, as seen in past spy shots, where they might be more difficult to access. Also, this tablet-esque screen doesn't leave room for Mercedes to work its magic with leather, stitching and high-end trim materials.
Besides the interior, we do get a solid look at the new S-Class's headlights and taillights. The headlights are lower and wider than the previous model. The same goes for the taillights, but at a more extreme level since the current S-Class taillights are vertically oriented.
We aren't expecting Mercedes to reveal the new flagship until next year at the earliest. It will likely feature the new turbocharged straight-6 as a base engine, with versions of the twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 serving higher-trim versions.
