Mercedes S-Class W223 Lets Drivers Watch Movies At Higher Speeds

We’re not exactly at that point yet, but there will come a time when the sight of people watching movies, playing cards, or even sleeping while behind the wheel of their car will become commonplace. And it will do so even on stretches of road known to allow high-speed driving, such as the German Autobahn.
 

It would seem the Mercedes-Benz S-Class will be a trendsetter in this respect. The German luxobarge, currently in its seventh generation, got a 2025 model year refresh that will make it capable of driving itself faster on German roads, allowing the driver to focus on something else entirely.
 
More to the point, Mercedes tweaked a bit the Drive Pilot system, the carmaker’s automated driving suite that can be used on the roads of both the home country, but also those of the U.S. It is the S-Class drivers living in Europe, though, that’ll get to enjoy their car driving itself faster than before.
 
Until now, the Drive Pilot was capable of moving the S-Class on the Autobahn at speeds of up to 37 mph (60 kph) in traffic congestion conditions. As of now, though, the speed has been increased to 59 mph (95 kph), and the tech can be used at these speeds in regular traffic flow.
 
The system will do this by following a vehicle ahead in the right lane, and should give people the chance to enjoy self-driving technologies for longer periods of time, but also more frequently. The German law allows drivers to engage in other activities, including watching movies and reading, while systems such as the Drive Pilot are in use.
 
But what happens if an emergency occurs, you may ask? As with all other systems of its kind, the Drive Pilot will notify the driver of such events, and it will always hand control back to the driver when requested.
 
If for some reason the driver does not respond, the car will automatically come to a stop, using a series of no less than 35 sensors, cameras, radars, and LiDAR to make sure it does so safely.
 
The improved Drive Pilot is not the only upgrade Mercedes brings to the S-Class for the 2025 model year. Another improvement can be seen when it comes to the Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) infotainment system.
 
The system was beefed up with the inclusion of AI, more specifically the integration of ChatGPT into the existing voice assistant. The tech will work with Microsoft Bing, allowing drivers to engage in context-aware conversations with the computer mind. In this application, ChatGPT remembers past conversations, allowing humans to ask follow-up questions.
 

Another feature of the MBUX, navigation, has been enhanced with the inclusion of the Google satellite view, providing better quality images for more accurate orientation.
 
The German carmaker is throwing into the mix for the 2025 S-Class something called the Entertainment Package Plus, which brings streaming services, including YouTube and RIDEVU, right inside the car. Perfect things to have around for when you use the Drive Pilot at its fullest, right?
 
There are no major visual changes made to the S-Class for 2025, but Mercedes does provide new Manufaktur options for the model year. There are no less than 50 new colors on the table to choose from, accompanied by 25 extra interior options that play with leather, wood, and a series of other materials. Unlike the Drive Pilot upgrade, these new options are available the world over.
 
To mark the launch of the 2025 model year car, Mercedes introduces something called the S-Class Edition, an exclusive variant of the luxury car that is equipped from the get-go with the AMG Line and Night package, and can be specced in one of five colors. It’s a version that will be limited to selected markets, but not North America.
 
This S-Class rides on 20 inch AMG light-alloy wheels and is equipped with the Digital Light system with a projection feature.
 
Setting the Edition apart from the rest of the range are the door handles in dark shadow gloss and black door sill panels that display illuminated Mercedes-Benz lettering. At the interior, exclusivity translates into Nappa leather in three colors, a head-up display, and a Burmester 3D surround sound system. For the first time in this family of cars, the vehicle’s MBUX features a digital edition emblem.
 
Because this is technically just a mildly beefed-up version of the production S-Class, the Edition will share many of the engines available across the range. In the U.S., the regular S-Class comes as a choice between the S 500 4MATIC and the S 580e 4MATIC.
 
Mercedes does not say how much it will charge for the upgraded S-Class, but the two models mentioned above are already listed as 2025 model year cars over in the U.S.. Pricing starts at $117,750 for the S 500 4MATIC, and gets going from $128,200 for the S 580e 4MATIC. There is also the AMG S 63 E Performance on the table, and that one retails from $186,200.