S-Class just the first act of a major show of technical force.

NEW and upgraded models are coming in force from Mercedes Benz this year, and the push starts at the top.

A major overhaul for the flagship W223 series S-Class - announced as the biggest mid-life makeover the luxe limo line-up has ever received - is just act one.

Also playing out this year, internationally if not immediately locally, are a new generation of the GLB, the electric C-Class (along with a facelifted version of the existing combustion engined type) and the next-generation GLA crossover.

This is also the year when Mercedes-AMG’s new electric four-door GT – previewed by the GT XX research concept – will arrive as the first car to use the 800V AMG.EA architecture.

All starts with the S-Class. Previewed by the striking Vision Iconic concept last October, the model sport a new look front end with a larger, optionally illuminated grille and revised headlights, but that’s hard the full extent of change.

Around 50 percent of the parts – or 2700 components – are said to be new or revised, right down to the three-pointed star on the bonnet which for the first time on a Mercedes-Benz can be illuminated.

Under that bonnet is a new 4.0-litre flat-plane crank V8 engine built by AMG – a variant of which is used in the 2020 AMG GT Black Series supercar – that Mercedes says is smoother and more responsive than the outgoing V8.

Outputs of 395kW/750Nm mean it has up around 25kW and 50Nm more than the previous equivalent. The new unit features a 48-volt mild-hybrid system that uses a 17kW integrated starter-generator to provide additional punch at low revs. Alternate powertrains are a six-cylinder petrol, six-cylinder diesel and plug-in hybrid guise, all also with more grunt across the board.

The S-Class gets the latest Mercedes-Benz Operating System (MB.OS), powered by a water-cooled supercomputer, which handles the active safety and driver assistance suite along with the infotainment system. It gets an AI-powered virtual assistant that uses ChatGPT to handle queries.

The MBUX runs through a front 14.4-inch ‘superscreen’, but front-seat passengers can also opt for their own 12.3-inch screen as part of the system, and a 13.1-inch screen is affixed to each of the rear seats complete with detachable remote controls.

High-end features abound, of course. These include an advanced electric cabin filter, which ionises interior air every 90 seconds to remove impurities, and heated front seatbelts which Mercedes says offer “a gentle, reassuring embrace for front passengers”.

In terms of comfort, the S-Class rides on the marque’s ‘Airmatic’ suspension system, which can adjust damping in real-time as it anticipates bumps, while an optional ‘E-Active Body Control’ system can add additional comfort.

An upgraded suite of advanced safety features arrives as well as driving and parking assistance systems plus up to 15 airbags. Expect to see it later this year.

The C-Class electric will have an 800V electric architecture that supports DC charging at up to 330kW and 20-80 percent energy replenishment in close to 20 minutes. Though is the powertrain might go to five variants; three in single-motor, rear-wheel-drive and a couple as 4Matics, with dual-motor, four-wheel-drive.

Depending on the model, buyers are set to get a choice of three battery capacities: 64kWh, 85kWh and 94kWh. The 94kWh pack is claimed to provide the most efficient model, the rear-wheel-drive C300 Plus EQ, with a range of up to 800 kilometres on the WLTP test cycle, making it one of the longest-range EVs on sale.

It’s not just ant range. Rage also flavours. Following in 2027 will be a four-wheel-drive electric successor to Mercedes-AMG’s plug-in hybrid C63, with three disc-shaped axial-flux electric motors and AMG’s new round-cell battery technology, as featured in the record-breaking GT XX research prototype.

Britain’s ‘Autocar’ magazine reports the concept uses an oil‑cooled 114kWh cell‑to‑pack battery capable of charging at up to 850kW and features a 999kW tri‑motor drivetrain. A 0-100kmh time of less than 2.5 seconds and a top speed of 360kmh is expected.

The electric C is a key competitor to the Tesla Model 3 and upcoming BMW i3. To be produced solely as a sedan, it is the second model based on Mercedes’ MB.EA electric car platform, following the recently unveiled GLC EQ, and is likely to begin right hand drive production before year-end.

The new GLA will unite the outgoing combustion engined GLA and its electric EQA sibling in one model line, with drivetrain combinations set to match those of the latest CLA, CLA Shooting Brake and GLB.

Why not mention of the baby G-Class also in the works? That project also excites, but with so much else going on, that model will be kept out of the showroom until 2027.