Mercedes-Benz S-Class

The 2021 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is already being manufactured at the German brand’s state-of-the-art Factory 56. Located in Sindelfingen (near Stuttgart), Mercedes-Benz says the new plant is among the world’s most technologically advanced, and was designed with improved efficiency, sustainability, digitisation and production flexibility in mind.

When Mercedes-Benz introduced the current S-Class Cabriolet in 2016, it was the first factory droptop available in the Sonderklasse line since 1971. It may also be the last. Autocar reports the S-Class Cabriolet and its coupe sibling will end production in 2022, the next generation of S-Class going sedan-only. Mercedes-Benz is undertaking various cost-cutting measures and aiming to save €1.4 billion ($2.3 billion) over the next three years.

As the world’s largest car market, China is continuing to dictate the future success and planning of new vehicles from nearly all manufacturers, including the likes of Mercedes-Benz, which admits it has to cater to Chinese taste. Speaking to the media at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas today, the chief designer for Mercedes-Benz, Gordon Wagner, said that the next S-Class will bring about a new generation of exterior and interior design.

Mercedes-Benz Australia has issued a recall for the AMG S63 over concerns the active lane-keep assist function may not work as intended. According to the German marque, the technology's camera software could malfunction, resulting in the lane-keep assist system not applying the brakes following an "inadvertent lane change from a speed over 105km/h". However, the steering wheel would still vibrate to warn of the unintended lane change.