Mercedes-Benz celebrates 140 years of existence and enters the next era of innovation with the new S-Class

140 years of innovation: the future never ends

Carl Benz’s 1886 patent and Gottlieb Daimler’s motor car started a 140-year chain of innovation that is still the essence of the Mercedes-Benz brand today. This legacy is even more striking in the anniversary year: in 2026, the 140th anniversary of the automobile, the brand will launch the largest model launch program in its history: over two years, more than 40 new models will be launched on the market – from cutting-edge electric cars to electrified combustion engine versions to top-performance AMG models. All this with a single promise: to create the most attractive cars in the world, which simultaneously embody engineering excellence, quality, design and the feeling of “Welcome home”.​ The 140-year history therefore not only legitimizes, but also fuels the current innovation momentum.

Icons and milestones: from petrol motorcars to MB.OS

Mercedes-Benz made its mark in automotive history with models such as the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, the Mercedes 35 HP, the “gull-winged” 300 SL, the “Grosser Mercedes” 600, the first generations of the G-Class and the S-Class, all of which represented the cutting-edge technology of their time. The series of technological breakthroughs is marked by inventions such as Béla Barényi’s crumple zone safety body, the first ABS and airbag, ESP, PRE-SAFE, and then the Vision EQXX electric car with a range of over 1,200 km with a consumption of less than 10 kWh/100 km.

The brand’s culture of innovation continues today in developments such as solar paint for future range extension, neuromorphic computing, biotechnologically produced materials or the In-Drive brake, which aim to make software-supported electromobility even more efficient and sustainable. The MB.OS integrated vehicle operating system brings a new era: it connects infotainment and driver assistance systems as well as drive control on a unified hardware-software platform, and guarantees that the car is always up to date through online updates provided over many years.

The new S-Class: 140 years of expertise in one model

The new Mercedes-Benz S-Class is the next important milestone in this 140-year story and brings the most comprehensive update of the generation to date: more than half of the car – around 2,700 components – are new developments or significantly improved. The thoroughly revised model thus simultaneously celebrates tradition and fills the brand’s new product launch wave with content, maintaining its status as the “best car in the world” among luxury sedans.​

In its exterior appearance, the S-Class has become an even more distinctive and expressive status symbol: the radiator grille, which is around 20 percent larger and optionally illuminated, and the twin-star light graphic of the new DIGITAL LIGHT headlights make it instantly recognizable. At the rear, the new lights with a chrome-framed star motif, and on the sides, the optional projector integrated into the side sills accentuates the experience by projecting the Mercedes Benz lettering onto the ground.

Digital flagship: MB.OS, MBUX and MB.DRIVE

The heart of the new S-Class is the Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS), the digital backbone of future Mercedes models: it ensures faster development and a uniform user experience across model families. The supercomputer, based on a dedicated, service-oriented electronic architecture, links all major functions in a common ecosystem. The system is connected to the Mercedes-Benz Intelligent Cloud, so that numerous vehicle functions can be updated “Over The Air”; This means that the model remains digitally up-to-date throughout its entire life cycle.​

Driving and parking support is provided by the new MB.DRIVE system family: ten external cameras, five radars and twelve ultrasonic sensors work together in a high-performance control unit that interprets the traffic environment in real time. MB.DRIVE ASSIST and ASSIST PRO range from distance and lane keeping functions to proactive lane changes and automatic deceleration when approaching intersections to intelligent support for driving in urban environments, while MB.DRIVE PARKING ASSIST makes parking easier with a 360-degree camera, reversing assistance and visual rim protection.​