Automakers seem to have moved on from the horsepower wars and are now focusing their attention on a new kind of contest.
Judging from car launches in recent years, it looks like there’s a race for the title of the largest infotainment screen fitted to an automobile. Mercedes-Benz is committed to taking part in this race; just look at the humongous center screen that the all-new 2020 S-Class will have.
These are the very first spy shots of the luxury sedan’s portrait-style center screen which is the size of China. We don’t know exactly how big it is, but since the digital instrument panel is wider than on the current S-Class, the center display is at least as wide and significantly longer. From this distance, it seems even bigger than the iPad Pro 12.9, the world’s largest tablet computer.
Look closely and you’ll notice some physical buttons at the bottom of the screen. They control the driving modes, hazard lights, volume, on/off, and some other functions we can’t decipher. Most functions will be accessible via the center touchscreen. Besides the digital instrument panel and the infotainment display, the rest of the cabin is still covered.
As always, the new S-Class will be a technological trend-setter
On the outside, it’s pretty clear that the S-Class prototype features the production headlights and taillights. However, their shapes remain unknown given the heavy camouflage.
The 2020 S-Class will arrive next year with Level 3 semi-autonomous driving tech, which is a step above Level 2 systems such as Tesla’s Autopilot and Cadillac’s Super Cruise. The flagship sedan will reportedly feature hybrid-only versions using the latest 3.0-liter and 2.9-liter straight-six gasoline and diesel engines. The PHEV versions are expected to offer all-electric driving ranges of up to 62 miles (100 km).
The S-Class is also said to debut a new 4Matic all-wheel-drive system with a fully variable torque split between the axles, as well as an active suspension that will work together with a 48-volt system and a stereo camera scanning the road ahead.
Besides the S-Class, Mercedes is also developing an all-electric EQ S luxury sedan that will use a new MEA platform different from the S-Class’ updated MRA architecture.