The S-Class enters its final stretch as a combustion-powered sedan with a pinpoint refresh for the 2025 model year that’s entirely about the details; only those who keep track of the S-Class color palette year-to-year will know this is one is different to the 2024 sedan by looking at the exterior. The two new colors are Verde Silver Metallic and Velvet Brown Metallic — that’s right, brown, baby! Every auto scribe’s dream color.

Inside, the comfort headrests that put a fluffy pillow between one’s hairdo and the traditional leather will be standard equipment. Streaming options rise by one, Mercedes integrating Sony Pictures Entertainment’s RideVu, porting films from Sony’s library into the cabin and onto devices in the cabin. RideVu says its custom interface tweaks just for the S-Class, which includes parental controls, allows “content to be streamed synchronously on up to six different in-car screens or personal devices or watched independently on each device.” A rotating roster of titles will count gems like “Jumanji: The Next Level,” “Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse,” “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” and “The Equalizer 3.”

Closer to the sedan’s German home, Mercedes’ MBUX infotainment interface will make assisted parking suggestions easier to find and use. For international markets, pre-installation for the Digital Key will make its way to the U.S. and Canada, and be compatible with Android devices. And for everyone, a new rear seat reminder uses the opening of the rear doors — as in, putting something in the back seat before starting the car and taking off — to figure out when to alert front-row occupants about something potentially left in the back seat.

Moving up to the sedans in the Manufaktur program will get an OLED main display as standard equipment, part of MBUX Entertainment Plus.

Based on a previous report, a more substantial facelift and refresh is on the way for 2026. At some point, either then or perhaps for another update planned in 2029, we’re told a less fussy user interface will return, with touch sliders on the steering wheel supposedly being replaced by capacitive buttons and thumbwheels, and a reworked instrument panel showing off a new Hyperscreen with an optional passenger display. Hartmut Sinkwitz, head of interiors, said, “Intuitive ergonomics will return, but I’m not saying analog is the new digital. Instead, we are going to offer the customers the best of both worlds.”

Orders for the 2025 S-Class are open now, deliveries in Europe will begin at the end of July, those for the U.S. will start at the end of August.