Mercedes-Benz has pulled the cover off the Vision Iconic, a striking two-door coupé concept that looks backward and forward at the same time: art-deco styling that channels the brand’s Gullwing era, and futuristic tech that points the way for the next S-Class.

Unveiled at Mercedes’ Shanghai design house, the Vision Iconic isn’t just a styling exercise. It’s a clear preview of the S-Class’s future face — a larger, more upright illuminated grille inspired by the 1900 Mercedes 35 PS — and a signal that the marque is thinking seriously about bringing back low-volume two-door S-Class coupés and cabriolets later this decade. Expect the production S-Class the concept points to to arrive in the UK in 2028.

Design and presence
The concept’s most obvious trick is its grille: a five-slat, illuminated ‘Iconic Grille’ that’s more theatrical and vertical than the current S-Class’s treatment. The front end even flirts with an illuminated three-pointed star — a showy detail that would mark a notable change for Mercedes’ flagship. Gorden Wagener, Mercedes’ design chief, says the car draws on “the golden era of automotive design of the 1930s,” and that influence shows in the long-bonnet proportions and the way classic cues are blended with modern lighting and surfaces.

Two S-Classes, one look
Mercedes is moving toward a unified design language across combustion and electric variants. The Vision Iconic previews an S-Class family that will be sold both as the new MB.EA-platform electric S-Class (the direction for the mass-market successor) and a heavily facelifted MRA-based S-Class to keep combustion models viable for longer. The company will even simplify naming — retiring the EQS badge as it drops dedicated EV model names — so electric and ICE versions will share the same S-Class identity and, importantly, the same visual DNA.

Tech that wants to feel human
Beneath the show-car gloss are some genuinely ambitious technical ideas. Mercedes showcased a level-four autonomous system — hands-off, eyes-off — driven by a so-called neuromorphic computer. The company claims this setup mimics neural networks, running driving calculations far faster and more efficiently than today’s Drive Pilot. It’s an aggressive leap from the current S-Class’ level-three, eyes-on system.

The Vision Iconic also demonstrates steer-by-wire, combined with enhanced rear-axle steering. Mercedes says this pairing boosts low-speed manoeuvrability and on-road agility — a way to make a large luxury car feel notably more nimble without a mechanical steering column.

A cabin that prioritises comfort (and theatre)
Inside, Mercedes hasn’t hidden the concept’s intent: “lounge first, driver second,” Wagener says. The cabin treats occupants like guests, with ambitious tech and theatrical touches rather than pure driver-sport packaging. That philosophy fits the S-Class’ role as a luxury sanctuary, and it explains why Mercedes is exploring both high-tech autonomy and lavish interior comforts in the same package.

What it means for the line-up
The Vision Iconic is the clearest sign yet that Mercedes may reintroduce two-door S-Class coupés and convertibles after a multi-year absence. With carmakers chasing higher margins and customers still willing to pay for distinctive, low-volume models, a return of the S-Class coupé and cabriolet feels commercially plausible — especially if they borrow the concept’s dramatic styling and top-tier tech.

Bottom line
The Vision Iconic is part nostalgia, part manifesto. It blends classic Mercedes flair with serious technological ambition: an eye-catching grille and Gullwing-era references wrapped around advanced autonomy, steer-by-wire and a lounge-style interior. Whether every idea survives the journey to production, the concept makes one thing clear — the next S-Class will be as much about showmanship and comfort as it is about engineering.

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