The world’s best-selling luxury saloon is upping its game again! Four years after the current S-Class took the market by storm – selling 270,000 units worldwide since 2005 – the flagship saloon is cementing its place at the top of the tree with a raft of new technology and cleaner, more-powerful engines.

Customers can now choose from a range of six powerplants, comprising one diesel and five petrol options. With fuel consumption of 37.2mpg and CO2 emissions of 199g/km, the S350 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY is the greenest of the bunch thanks to energy-saving modifications that include closed underbody panelling and disengaging the 7G-TRONIC transmission when the car’s at a standstill.

Standard petrol models include the S350, S500 and S600 with 268bhp, 383bhp and 510bhp respectively. But for those who require more of a performance edge, two AMG versions can be ordered – the S63 AMG packing a 518bhp V8 and the range-topping S65 AMG featuring a 604bhp 6.0-litre V12.

Borrowing heavily from the recently launched E-Class Saloon, a number of all-new driver assistance systems have been added. These include Adaptive Highbeam Assist, which dips and raises your light beams automatically so as not to dazzle oncoming traffic. Night View Assist detects pedestrians in the dark and highlights them on the display to draw the driver’s attention.

And the tech-fest doesn’t stop there. Attention Assist monitors 70 driver-behaviour parameters and deploys an audible and visual alert if it’s time to take a break, while the Pre-Safe brake system recognises an imminent rear end collision and is able to intervene and slow the vehicle automatically.

Improving the driving experience hasn’t been ignored either. A variable ratio steering rack makes the car more manoeuvrable at low speeds and less twitchy on the motorway, while the Torque Vectoring Brake system brakes the inner rear wheel in bends to allow a sharper turn-in and minimise understeer.

The S-Class’ cabin has always been one of the finest, most cosseting interiors in the world, but a bigger array of entertainment options will increase its appeal further. Most notable is an ingenious SPLITVIEW screen, allowing the driver and passenger to view different content simultaneously on the same display. By hiding alternate rows of pixels to either the left or the right, the driver can use the navigation system while the passenger watches a DVD.

Styling-wise the changes are limited to a new front bumper and more pronounced radiator grille, as well as exhaust pipes now visibly integrated into the rear apron. LED lights, instead of conventional bulbs are now standard at the front and rear, too.

UK pricing is yet to be confirmed, but the facelifted saloon is scheduled to go on sale in the Autumn.