Development began in 1992,[4] with the final design, under the direction of Steve Mattin, approved in June 1995 and frozen in March 1996.

In June 1995, the Daimler-Benz AG board of management approved Mattin's final design at 38 months before production.

A facelifted version of the S-Class was designed in late 2000 and introduced in September 2002, offering a more refined front-end with a larger, more upright grille, transparent headlamp housings with sealed-beam projectors, and revised taillights.

Exterior updates included a more upright grille angle, new transparent housing for the headlamps (replacing the earlier translucent versions), and restyled lower air intakes on the front bumper.

The S 600 series has a "V12" badge affixed to either side of the car, just forward of the front doors and back from the wheel wells.

A four-wheel drive system became an option for 2003 for the S 430 and S 500 along with mid-life upgrades that targeted a range of interior and exterior features.

Components of this system including 10.4 inch LCD monitors displaying data from a computer with mobile web access.

[30] The AMG developed media system could connect to the World Wide Web using HSCSD or GPRS at up to 43 kilobits per second.

AMG signed a cooperation agreement with Daimler-Benz starting 1990, producing special models of MB vehicles and became further integrated in this period starting in 1991 with the foundation of Mercedes-AMG GmbH various changes driven especially by the success of AMG models in MB lines and expansions at Affalterbach, Germany.

In addition to the AMG multi-media system, there is also a bar supporting the consumption of cooled beverages, small tables, and a barrier to the front of the vehicle that.

noted that it excelled at being a gran turismo (grand tourer) and averaged about 17 miles per gallon despite its size and equally large power plant.

[35][49] As with each new S-Class, the W220 was technologically advanced at the time of its launch, bringing in new innovations[50] such as Airmatic air suspension, Active Ventilated Seats (which used miniature fans in the seats to move air through perforations), keyless entry and ignition, Distronic: the first worldwide radar-assisted Autonomous cruise control system, and a cylinder deactivation system called Active Cylinder Control for the S 500 and S 600 models, which improves fuel consumption and reduces emissions.

Increased attention to side impacts was noted, and the car included a window air bag that inflates between the A and C pillars.

Also the front and rear ends include aluminum crash boxes can be replaced as separate units to reduce the cost of repairs.

The algorithms used in the system were developed at Ulm, Germany where what was then called DaimlerChrysler Research and Technology center was located in addition to other groups within the company.

[55] In 2000, it could control the car phone, the radio, and the CD player (if installed) but in 2002 the navigation system was also added to its domain.

Drivers can select a comfort or two sports suspension programmes as well as increased ride height (+25 mm) via switches on the dash.

The increased ride height is automatically canceled after 5 minutes of 55 MPH driving or manually through driver's input.

[58] In 2000, Mercedes and telecommunications and electronics company Motorola announced they would offer the Timeport cell phone system on all models in the year 2001.

[60][24] As the years passed, various ways to connect different phones or systems to the COMAND or interface with existing cradles came to market, of varying ability and expense there is the issues of handling a connection to the system and then the software needed interface, and this task is affected by the model year and equipment options of any particular S-Class.

One of the major advancements in this period was Bluetooth, and many modern updates are oriented towards this wireless data connection technology.

[60] The advantage of using a puck in this style is it means the existing cradle and/or cabling has to be changed but still allows connecting with a variety of different devices, especially a wide-variety of "smart-phones" that became popular in the decade after the W220.

Both S 55 AMG and S 600 have same engine output but target different clientele: the former more sporty and responsive while the latter more luxurious with a smoother ride.

Additionally, S 65 AMG was world's most powerful five-passenger four-door sedan until Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat with 707 hp (527 kW) was introduced in 2014.

[71] Examples of recalls in Australia include:[72] Some other issues were noted with sensors or other components being potentially being damaged by water and/or heat.

[72] One Canadian car site noted that older W220's can offer impressive features for the cost, provided that owners continue to maintain the vehicle.

They also noted that over its production run Mercedes-Benz fixed many issues and there is also considerable variation in models depending how they were equipped.

[75] The suit alleged that .. " alleging, among other things, that the reed valve in the air/water duct in 2001-2006 model year Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W220) and Mercedes-Benz CL-Class (W215) vehicles is susceptible to clogging by leaves, pine needles and other debris, which can cause water to accumulate in the air/water duct and to overflow into the passenger compartment, possibly resulting in damage to electrical and other components.."In 2010, the United States Judge Howard Matz ruled on the settlement about this issue.

[72] Other things that can cause water to enter an S-Class interior include the air conditioning condensation drain tubes.

[78] An aftermarket version like the 2001 model year Brabus S V12 boosted the output of V-12 to 450 hp (340 kW; 460 PS) at 5700 rpm and could do 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in about 5.4 seconds.