Mercedes S-Class Wins 2027 MotorTrend Car of the Year

Image: AI-generated illustration for Gearvoniq

The S-Class is back on top of the automotive world. Mercedes-Benz's flagship luxury sedan has been named the 2027 MotorTrend Car of the Year, beating 22 contenders to take one of the industry's most prestigious honors. The award, announced on October 20, 2026, recognizes the most comprehensively renewed S-Class in a generation — a car that brings back the V8, adds hands-free highway driving, and reminds everyone why the three-pointed star still defines the luxury sedan.

This is a significant win for Mercedes. The brand's last MotorTrend victory came back in 1981, when the 300SD took Import Car of the Year. The S-Class itself has been a finalist before — in 2014 and 2022 — but never lifted the Golden Calipers trophy. That drought is now over.

Key Takeaways

• The 2027 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is MotorTrend's 2027 Car of the Year, announced October 20, 2026 — Mercedes' first win since the 1981 300SD.
• A new 4.0-liter twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft powers the S580, making 530 hp and 533 lb-ft of torque.
• The range spans a $114,000 S500 to the S580e plug-in hybrid with 576 hp and 45 miles of electric range.
• Standard rear-axle steering, hands-free driving, and an illuminated 20-percent-larger grille headline the updates.

The Award: Golden Calipers After 45 Years

MotorTrend's Car of the Year is one of the oldest and most respected awards in the car business, handed out since 1949. Unlike comparison tests that pit cars directly against each other, every contender is judged against the same six criteria: value, safety, efficiency, performance of intended function, advancement in design, and engineering excellence. The winner is the car that best fulfills its mission — not the fastest, not the cheapest, but the most complete.

This year's field was deep: 22 cars spanning everything from affordable compacts to performance machines. That a large luxury sedan won says something about how thoroughly Mercedes renewed the S-Class. Judges don't hand the Golden Calipers to a flagship on reputation alone — the car has to prove itself against the criteria, and this S-Class apparently did so convincingly.

For context, the S-Class has been knocking on this door for years. It was a finalist in 2014 and again in 2022, but fell short both times. The 2027 model, with roughly 2,700 new or revised parts, finally broke through.

Image: AI-generated illustration for Gearvoniq

Under the Hood: The V8 Is Back

The biggest mechanical news is the return of the V8 — reengineered from the ground up. Mercedes developed an entirely new family of 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engines built around a flat-plane crankshaft, a design more commonly associated with exotic sports cars than luxury sedans. This new M177 Evo unit will eventually power every eight-cylinder Mercedes and AMG model, but it debuts here in the S-Class.

In the S580 4Matic, the new V8 produces 530 horsepower and 533 lb-ft of torque — meaningful gains over the outgoing engine's 496 hp and 516 lb-ft. Judges noted the engine feels even stronger than the numbers suggest, delivering its power with the kind of effortless, vibration-free smoothness that defines the S-Class experience. At idle, testers reported no perceptible vibration at all.

Buyers who don't need eight cylinders get a 3.0-liter inline-six. In the S500 4Matic mild hybrid it makes 442 hp and 443 lb-ft, while the S580e plug-in hybrid pairs the six with a more powerful electric motor for a combined 576 hp and 553 lb-ft — plus an estimated 45 miles of pure electric driving. That's enough to cover most daily commutes without burning a drop of fuel.

Design and Technology: Evolution, Not Revolution

Visually, the 2027 S-Class doesn't shout about its newness — and that's deliberate. The grille is 20 percent larger than before, filled with chrome stars broken up by four horizontal chrome bars, and the frame itself is illuminated for a distinctive nighttime signature. New wheel designs from 19 to 21 inches complete the subtle refresh.

Inside, the big story is software. The new S-Class runs a fresh operating system that underpins everything from the infotainment to the driver-assistance systems, including hands-free driving capability on suitable highways. It's the kind of technology that was concept-car fantasy a decade ago and is now available in a car you can buy from a showroom.

One feature the judges singled out for special praise: standard rear-axle steering. On a car as long as the S-Class, the ability to turn the rear wheels dramatically tightens the turning circle — testers said it maneuvers like a subcompact in tight spaces. For anyone who's ever wrestled a full-size sedan into a parking spot, that's a genuine quality-of-life upgrade.

Image: AI-generated illustration for Gearvoniq

Why It Won: Judged Against Six Criteria

MotorTrend's six judging criteria reward completeness, and the S-Class is arguably the most complete car in its class. On engineering excellence, the new V8 family and the 2,700 revised parts speak for themselves. On advancement in design, the illuminated grille and new software platform move the game forward without abandoning the understated elegance S-Class buyers expect.

Performance of intended function is where a flagship sedan either justifies its existence or doesn't. The S-Class exists to be the benchmark luxury sedan — serene, powerful, technologically advanced, and comfortable over any distance. By all accounts, the 2027 model executes that mission better than ever.

Value is the interesting one. With a base price around $114,000 for the S500 and the S580 starting at $136,050 — with some versions climbing past $200,000 — nobody would call the S-Class cheap. But value in MotorTrend's sense means what you get for the money relative to the mission, and against rivals like the BMW 7 Series and Audi A8, the S-Class makes a strong case.

What It Means for Luxury Buyers

For buyers in the US, UK, and UAE, the award is a useful signal — but the car itself is the real story. The return of a proper V8 to the S-Class lineup matters because it preserves choice at the top of the market. While the industry rushes toward electrification, Mercedes is betting that flagship buyers still want the character and effortlessness of eight cylinders, now with mild-hybrid efficiency.

The plug-in hybrid S580e may be the smartest pick for many buyers. With 576 hp on tap and 45 miles of electric range, it offers supercar-adjacent performance with the ability to run errands silently on electricity. In cities like London with emissions zones, or for UAE buyers facing rising fuel costs, that flexibility has real value.

In the Gulf especially, the S-Class occupies a unique position. It's the default choice for executives and dignitaries, the car against which all other luxury sedans are measured. A MotorTrend Car of the Year win only reinforces that status — though in truth, the S-Class hardly needed the validation in markets where its reputation was already secure.

The broader significance is what the win says about the state of the luxury sedan. In an era of SUVs, the fact that a traditional four-door sedan can still win Car of the Year is a reminder that the format isn't dead — it's just reserved for cars that do it exceptionally well.

Image: AI-generated illustration for Gearvoniq

FAQ

When was the 2027 MotorTrend Car of the Year announced?

MotorTrend announced the 2027 Car of the Year on October 20, 2026, naming the Mercedes-Benz S-Class as the winner from a field of 22 contenders.

How much does the 2027 S-Class cost?

The S500 starts at around $114,000, while the S580 4Matic begins at $136,050. Fully optioned versions can exceed $200,000.

What engine does the new S-Class have?

The S580 uses a new 4.0-liter twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft (530 hp, 533 lb-ft). The S500 and S580e use a 3.0-liter inline-six; the plug-in hybrid S580e makes 576 hp with 45 miles of electric range.

When was the last time Mercedes won MotorTrend Car of the Year?

Mercedes-Benz last won in 1981, when the 300SD was named Import Car of the Year. The S-Class was a finalist in 2014 and 2022 but never won until now.

What are MotorTrend's judging criteria?

Six criteria: value, safety, efficiency, performance of intended function, advancement in design, and engineering excellence. Cars are judged against these standards rather than directly against each other.