It's official—the 2020 Mercedes-Benz S-Class is on its way. Snowy spy photos of the next-generation S-Class have recently surfaced, giving us our first glimpse of the redesigned luxury sedan.

Up front, the mesh grille and headlights are well clad, but the front end appears to take on a new boxier look than its predecessor. That could just be cleverly placed camo disguising the true shape of the new S-Class' nose, however. Around back, things look pretty much the same as the current model save for some dummy taillights. Expect those lamps to get newÂ LED accents and a more modern design, possibly influenced by the new CLS and other recent Benz models.

Under the new sheetmetal, the prototype could be packing a revised version of Mercedes' 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 that offers at least 463 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque in the current S550. The next-gen S-Class will likely continue to use the new nine-speed automatic transmission that has spread throughout the lineup, and 4MATIC all-wheel drive should also remain an option. Like many other automakers, Mercedes-Benz has been experimenting with electrified powertrains, so the next-gen S-Class could benefit from mild hybridization like the new CLS, which uses a 48-volt electrical system and an electric motor for engine stop/start and regen duty. You can also expect a full hybrid variant to return.

Recently, all 2018 S-Class models received more than 6,500 new parts as part of the current generation's mid-cycle refresh—so we imagine there are many tweaks under the camo here. Overall, it seems on schedule for its possible 2020 debut. We'll have to wait and see what level of autonomous features are planned for this model as well. Stay tuned.

Photo source: CarPix