Mercedes S-Class W222 in W223 style: what you can реально fit

The Mercedes-Benz S-Class W222 was produced from 2013 to 2020, and technically this car still holds its ground as a flagship. But next to the W223, unveiled on September 2, 2020, it’s immediately recognizable: different headlights, a different grille, flush door handles, horizontal rear lights. That brings us to the question owners come to us with: can you make a W222 look like a W223, what’s realistically available for purchase, what will have to be replaced, and what will still remain from the older car.

Contents

• In brief
• How the W223 differs from the W222 externally
• Four kits in W223 style
• What’s included in the kit
• What remains from the W222
• What to consider before ordering
• If the W223 is too much: facelift to the 2018 W222

In brief

• A W223 look on a W222 is not a body kit, but a replacement of the entire body “skin”: hood, fenders, bumpers, trunk lid, door skins, lighting. You can’t achieve this result with a few separate parts.
• There are four styles in the catalog of one GBT set: AMG Line, S63 AMG, BRB, and Maybach. They differ in the grille, bumpers, and small details; the base is shared.
• The silhouette remains W222: the roof, glass, pillars, wheelbase, and interior are not changed by the kit.
• Body parts are supplied for painting, and installation is a job for a body shop, not a garage.
• If you want a fresher look without that amount of work, there’s an easier route: the 2018-spec W222 facelift.

How the W223 differs from the W222 externally

The W222 received an update in 2017: it was shown in April, and from July production began with new LED headlights with three light strips, a different grille, and revised taillights. The W223 is already a new generation with different body surfacing. Here’s what you notice first.

The last line is important: the W223 proportions are different, and no set of parts will replicate them. The kit changes what you see from the front, rear, and sides at the panel level — but not the body geometry.

One more point for context: in January 2026 Mercedes introduced an updated W223 with a new grille and headlights with stars. The kits discussed below replicate the W223 prior to that update — the look produced from 2020.

Four kits in W223 style

In the section facelift kits for the S-Class W222 there are currently four sets from the manufacturer GBT titled “W223 facelift kit … (with door handles and inserts).” All are supplied for painting, install into factory mounting points, and the product pages list compatibility with W222 2013–2022.

The character description is based on the “after” photos on the product pages: the base is the same across all four sets, and the differences are in the front and rear bumpers, the grille, and decorative details.

What’s included in the kit

On the product pages the kit content is listed as “see photo.” Based on the kit photo (it’s shown in the most detail on the Maybach variant page), it includes:

Front end

• hood and front fenders;
• front bumper with radiator grille, air intake grilles, brackets, and reinforcements;
• W223-style front headlights;
• mirror housings, fender liners, under-bumper protection, and hood sound insulation.

Rear end and sides

• rear bumper with diffuser and exhaust tips;
• trunk lid and rear lights — two sections on each side;
• outer door skins for the new handles, rear fenders, moldings;
• W223-style door handles, rear fender liners, fasteners.

It’s worth confirming the exact list for a specific style and specific vehicle with a manager before payment: bumpers and grilles differ between variants, and the set of fasteners may depend on the car’s trim level.

What remains from the W222

• Roof, glass, pillars, and window frames. The W222 roofline is visible from the side and rear — this is the main thing that gives the “conversion” away to a trained eye.
• Wheelbase and proportions. A long car remains a long W222, a short one remains a short one.
• Interior. The instrument panel, multimedia system, seats, and steering wheel stay W222. An AMG-style steering wheel is available separately in the catalog, but the kit does not add W223 screens.
• Suspension, engine, electronics. No technical changes — appearance only.

What to consider before ordering

Pre-facelift or facelift

The product pages indicate compatibility with all W222, while the manufacturer’s banner lists 2014–2021. However, the headlight wiring, parking sensors, cameras, and the front radar differ between cars before 2017 and after 2017. Before ordering, tell the manager your VIN, year, and trim — this is how compatibility of headlights, taillights, and connectors is verified.

Short or long wheelbase

Door skins and rear fenders are tied to body length: on the long W222 (V222) the rear doors are longer. Clarify which wheelbase the kit is configured for before placing an order.

Painting

All body parts come for painting. The correct sequence is to test-fit the parts on the car, adjust the gaps, and only then paint to the body color by paint code. You’ll need to paint almost the entire car, so the shade will be uniform — that’s an advantage of replacement rather than a cosmetic body kit.

Installation

The hood, fenders, bumpers, and trunk lid come off in the normal way. But the rear fenders on a sedan are part of the body, and the door skins are not something you “bolt on in an evening.” This is body-shop work with experience in projects like this: plan for lift time and the craftsmen’s expertise, not just the cost of parts.

Electronics

The new headlights and taillights need to be connected and, depending on the car, coded. Factory W223 retractable handles are electric; how the handles from the kit will work on your car should be clarified with the manager before purchase.

If the W223 is too much: facelift to the 2018 W222

Not every owner is ready for a full body transformation. For a pre-facelift W222 there’s a calmer scenario — bringing the car to the look of the updated 2018-spec W222. For this, the catalog has a Maybach facelift kit with lighting (Maybach front and rear bumpers, headlights with modules, rear lights) and an S63 AMG-2018 facelift kit (S63/S65 bumpers, headlights, taillights, AMG Black grille, muffler tips).

You can also move step by step via the W222 lighting section: there are facelift-design headlights intended specifically for 2014–2017 cars, and facelift rear lights which according to the product page are compatible with both versions. Facelift headlights for cars after 2017 are installed on a pre-facelift only together with a new bumper and grille — this is stated directly on the product page. This route won’t make a W222 look like a W223, but it removes the main signs of age and doesn’t touch the body.

The rest of the parts for your car — bumpers, grilles, tips, side skirts — are collected on the Mercedes S-Class W222 tuning page. We broke down a similar approach for BMW in an article about the BMW X5 G05 facelift in LCI style.

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