The new BMW 7 Series has only just proven itself as the gadget-freak luxury car of choice, but Mercedes is likely to up to ante with the 2016 S-Class. The posh saloon will get some mild updates and new features thrown in for the second half of next year.
We've spotted a barely disguised prototype of next-year's S-Class on the road, showing that exterior updates will likely be limited to redesigned LED lights front and rear. We may also see new alloy wheel designs and fresh colours, but the S-Class is still a relatively new shape.
Inside there's a bit more for Merc engineers to hide. That large digital instrument cluster looks set to grow further for next year, with what appears to be new features hidden behind a cloth. We don't know for sure what to expect from the refreshed display, but the latest COMAND system will debut and gesture control is possible.
Expect even more gizmos for rear-seat passengers to play with, too, but the biggest change is set to be in the form of new driverless safety systems. We know Mercedes is developing new 'intelligent drive' autonomous tech for its next E-Class, and the S-Class should receive this system too.
In a similar vein to Tesla's new Autopilot feature, a combination of radars, cameras and sensors will create a digital image of the car's surroundings and allow it to navigate itself down motorways and in traffic. Cars will also be able to communicate with each other, and even take evasive action from a crash. A remote parking system could also debut.
Expect mild efficiency and performance boosts across the petrol, diesel and plug-in electric engine range. We'll get the full details of Merc's plans for the S-Class sometime next year.
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