Is The Next Mercedes S-Class Hiding Behind This Massive Grille?

Who knew that grilles would be such a big talking point at the recent Munich Motor Show? While the BMW iX3 and Audi Concept C show that two of the biggest recent proponents of enormous gaping snouts finally seem to be moving back towards subtlety and restraint, the Mercedes GLC appears to be evidence that the other posh German manufacturer has sensed an opportunity to move right into that freshly vacant turf.

Further evidence comes in the form of whatever Mercedes design boss Gorden Wagener has taken to Instagram to tease. That, readers, is a grille, and one that’s more illuminated than Blackpool’s promenade on an autumn night to boot.

That’s undoubtedly the centrepiece of this mystery car at the moment, but we can make out a few other bits too. Namely, it sits visibly low to the ground, all but confirming that an SUV it ain’t. The headlights feature Merc’s new favourite design feature (besides MASSIVE GRILLES), incorporating a three-pointed star emblem into the lighting signature.

That’s not the only Mercedes badge we can see – there’s one standing proud on the bonnet, too (lit up, obviously), and that might be the biggest clue as to what this is. These days, Merc only tends to put its sticky-up bonnet emblems on its biggest, poshest models, and it’s no secret that an electric S-Class is in the works.

It all seems to point to that being the car teased here, rumours of which emerged last year as Mercedes looked to replace the slow-selling EQS saloon as part of a wider shift away from its EQ badging for EVs.

Should it be revealed soon, it won’t replace the combustion-powered S-Class, but rather sit alongside it at the top of Mercedes’ lineup as, like most car companies, it looks to extend the planned life of its combustion-powered models and slow down its all-out investment in EVs. We’ll be sure to keep you abreast as we learn more about the car. Assuming we can see it behind that grille.