It appeared that the prototype had all of its production body parts in place.

2020 is here, which means that we are only a few months from the revamped S-Class. Some of us have yet to return to work, but Mercedes hasn’t wasted any time. One of the company’s test driver was seen driving the W223. walkoARTvideos spotted the full-size luxury sedan with not only the production body, final lights, but also a panoramic sunroof.

The prototype has a lot of camouflage applied to its body. However, there is one significant difference from the W222. The pop-out door handles give the side profile a cleaner appearance by staying flush with the doors when they are not being used. While the overall shape of the Luxobarge will not change, the EQS has an avant-garde design with an electric powertrain and will offer something completely different.

The exterior will evolve rather than revolutionize the car’s interior. However, spy shots show that the dashboard will undergo major changes. Mercedes will eliminate most buttons and integrate them into a gigantic portrait-oriented touchscreen. This is similar to Tesla’s Model S.

We don’t know much about the oily parts, but Ola Kallenius, Daimler’s chairman, revealed that the V12 engine will be found under the S-Class’ hood. It is likely that it will be Maybach-only as the AMG S65 will be retired with the Final edition.

Mercedes promises to reveal preliminary details about the new S over the next few months. A full reveal is expected to occur later in 2020. Although it is not clear when or where the W223 will be unveiled, the Paris Motor Show in Oct seems to be a good place to start. It is possible that the S-Class, which is so important to the three-pointed star of the car, will be unveiled at an independent event. It definitely deserves one.

Rumours suggest that the Benz S-Class will only be available with a long wheelbase (plus an extra-long Maybach), and will not produce Coupe or Cabriolet versions. The two-door models are reportedly being replaced by the next-gen SL, AMG G.