There's a new Mercedes-Benz S-Class in town and the German company hopes more potential customers will see the light. Well, more specifically, the LED light.

The 2010 model-year update introduces a range of exterior styling tweaks, mainly to the front and rear of the cars, that includes the liberal use of LED light technology and a new "BlueEfficiency" model that blends a diesel engine with improved aerodynamics and smarter fuel-saving technology.

Unfortunately, prices for the new model have gone up. The company says the new range of S-Class cars have risen in price by about 7 per cent but claims the value of all the bits added as standard has increased by more than double that.

For the extra money, Benz argues you get a much safer range of cars. For starters, the clever adaptive cruise control is off the options list and now standard across the range, as is a Bluetooth phone connection.

A night vision camera is now standard on all but the base S350 CDI and even includes the ability to recognise pedestrians and warn the driver.

Externally, there's a distinctly restyled nose now featuring a row of daytime running lights underneath the headlamps to either side of a different-looking grille. A wider-looking stance is helped by wheels that grow to a standard 18 inches, stepping to 20-inch wheels for the high-powered AMG models.

Inside, strips of LED lights used for ambient lighting date back to the previous model, although this time instead of showing a soft yellow, you can now select either yellow, white or blue ambient light. Mercedes-Benz is the first brand to introduce a split-view multimedia screen to Australia. It allows the front-seat passenger to use a remote control to play a movie or watch TV while the driver gets to view the satellite navigation screen.

All models but the AMG derivatives now get electrically assisted hydraulic steering instead of the traditional mechanical system. The gearboxes, too, can unlock the torque converter while the S-Class is stopped in traffic.

Both changes are in the interests of saving more fuel. The BlueEfficiency model gets even more radical fuel-saving measures. These run to aerodynamic styling tweaks to the front, a fully sealed engine bay and a flat panel that tucks in below the fuel tank. They help to cut consumption by 0.6L/100km compared with the old S320 CDI model.

In dollar terms, the base diesel-engined S-Class rises by $13,000 to $214,900 (plus dealer and on-road costs). The range-topping, long-wheelbase S65 AMG also uses the 6.0-litre twin-turbo V12 and tops out at $482,900 plus dealer and on-road costs.