THE BREAKDOWN
- The S-Class facelift will be revealed on January 29.
- An electric C-Class arrives this year.
- AMG's first dedicated EV is also coming in 2026.
Mercedes teased the S-Class’ massive facelift earlier this week, but there’s much more to come in 2026. We’ve now learned that the luxury sedan’s premiere on January 29 will be followed by the posh Maybach S-Class, featuring an even longer wheelbase and a V12 engine. Looking beyond the flagship, many other new cars are scheduled to break cover over the next 12 months.
The “biggest product and tech launch program in the company’s history” will include the first-ever C-Class without a combustion engine. It should mirror the technical specifications of the new GLC with EQ Technology, an electric crossover for which Mercedes says it already has enough orders to sustain production through the second half of the year.
Speaking of SUVs, the Stuttgart-based marque will also give the larger GLE and GLS a nip and tuck this year. More importantly, from a volume perspective, the next-generation GLA launches in 2026, with an electric version. That model will supersede the EQA, as Mercedes consolidates its ICE and EV offerings into a single lineup with unified styling, following backlash against its overly streamlined designs.
More than a decade after its inaugural EV, the SLS AMG Electric Drive, the Affalterbach-based performance division will launch its first electric model built on a dedicated platform. Previewed by last year’s GT XX concept, the super sedan will serve as an electric successor to the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, which has already gone out of production. An electric SUV based on the same architecture is also coming, though not before 2027 at the earliest.
Beyond these debuts confirmed for 2026, there’s likely at least one more on the way. The return of the G-Class Cabriolet has already been teased, so we should see the four-door off-roader well before the year’s end. The go-anywhere SUV with a retractable soft top will follow a record-breaking 2025 for the G-Class, with just under 50,000 units sold over the past year.
Motor1's Take: Mercedes is coming off a weak 2025, with deliveries down 9% to 1,800,800 units. This wave of new metal could help turn things around, especially since 2026 will be the first full year for the new CLA, CLA Shooting Brake, GLB, and electric GLC. Although not officially mentioned, the combustion-engined C-Class could also receive a mid-cycle facelift this year, potentially bringing essential changes to the much-criticized four-cylinder AMG C63.
Mercedes’ domestic rivals aren’t standing still either, as they’re lining up new products of their own. BMW will launch the i3 sedan in the coming months to take on the electric C-Class, while the next-generation 3 Series and X5 are also due in 2026. At Audi, the refreshed Q7 and the first-ever Q9 have been confirmed, along with a new entry-level EV.
Source: Mercedes-Benz
