Mercedes is already looking forward to a fully electric S-Class with EQ Technology but, before it arrives, the company will introduce a second facelift for the slow-selling EQS. It’s expected to debut later this year with changes that are more than just skin deep.

Recently spied undergoing cold weather testing, the 2027 EQS looks pretty unremarkable. However, a closer inspection reveals the car will come equipped with star-infused headlights. The taillights carryover, for now, but they’ll likely follow suit on the production model.

More: Mercedes EQS Solid State Prototype Hits The Street With 621 Miles Of Range

Additional changes are hard to see, but it appears the model will have a lightly revised rear bumper. The front end could also be updated, although it’s hard to be certain with all that camouflage.

Mercedes has been tight-lipped about the car, but it’s expected to adopt a new 800 volt electrical architecture. This is a significant update and one that Polestar and Volvo did with the 3 and EX90.

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We’ll likely learn more in the coming months, but we can expect significantly improved charging times. The upgrades won’t end there as the model is also rumored to get an improved battery cell chemistry as well as in-house developed electric motors known as eATS 2.0. The model could also trade its single-speed gearbox for a new two-speed unit.

These changes should significantly improve efficiency and range. It’s too early to talk numbers, but the EQS 450 Plus offers an EPA range of 390 miles (628 km). That’s fantastic, but it’s nowhere close to the Lucid Air, which can travel up to 512 miles (824 km) between charging sessions.

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The next-generation Mercedes-Benz S-Class is set to span both combustion and electric power, offering buyers a choice they don’t have today. Although these versions will share a badge, they won’t share underpinnings. Mercedes is developing the internal combustion and electric versions of the S-Class on entirely separate platforms, marking a distinct split in engineering paths for its flagship sedan.

Read: Mercedes Says The World Wasn’t Ready For The EQS

In following this path, Mercedes is adopting a similar EV rollout strategy to rival BMW. Rather than pushing entirely separate electric nameplates like it does today with the S-Class and EQS, the company is now folding electric variants into its main model lines. We’ve seen this with the new GLC EQ, the battery-powered version of the ICE model, launched to replace the disappointing EQC.

However, those hoping to drive an all-electric version of the S-Class will need a little more patience. While Mercedes is already working on a mid-cycle update for the current combustion-powered model, the electric version won’t debut until the next full model change, expected closer to the end of the decade.

When it does land, the electric S-Class will effectively replace the EQS, which has never really reached the sales heights that Mercedes had hoped for. Widely criticized for its egg-shaped design, the EQS was a key part of the carmaker’s strategy, aimed at launching dedicated EVs to be sold alongside its existing range of ICE models.

One Design, Two Platforms

Importantly, this doesn’t mean Mercedes will remove the engines from its new models and replace them with electric motors and batteries. Electric versions of the brand’s cars will still use distinct platforms.

Despite those differences beneath the surface, the two variants are expected to look nearly identical. According to Auto Express, Mercedes plans to retain a more traditional sedan silhouette for the next S-Class, distancing it from the wind-slippery styling of the EQS.

While speaking about the next S-Class, Mercedes chief executive Ola Källenius noted it’ll be important to sell it in electric and combustion configurations.

“If you don’t believe that when the next S-Class comes, the market is 100 per cent electric at that point in time, you have to have the choice for both,” he said. “I think this is certainly one of the lessons learned from [our] first-generation electric vehicles in the whole market. You need to offer the electric and the hi-tech electrified ICE version without compromise.”

New Tech Beneath the Surface

Technical details about the electric S-Class remain unknown. The model is likely to be somewhat inelegantly named the S-Class with EQ Technology and will ride on the same MB.EA platform set to underpin several forthcoming electric Mercedes models.

See: Mercedes’ Vision Styling Looks Great On The Next S-Class

Because the car is still a few years from launch, Mercedes has time to go beyond the components used in models like the GLC EQ. It’s very likely the electric S-Class will benefit from more advanced battery and motor technology, including the axial flux motors developed by the company’s Yasa subsidiary. These compact, high-output units are expected to debut first in AMG-badged super sedans and SUVs.