S-Class cabrio Mercedes' 'first' 4-seat convertible in 44 years
After a 44-year absence, Mercedes-Benz is again offering open-top luxury seating for four with the all-new S-Class Cabriolet.
Set to debut at the Frankfurt auto show this month, the drop-top S-Class is the first flagship four-seat convertible built my Mercedes since 1971, completing the S-Class lineup with an astonishing six variants.
"Two years after its launch, the S-Class family is now complete," Mercedes-Benz cars development head Thomas Weber said in a statement. "We have never offered six models in the luxury class before—and never before have we enjoyed such success.
"The S-Class sets the pace on the global market when it comes to safety, efficiency and comfort."
Sharing 60 per cent of its body components with its S-Class Coupe sibling, the new cabrio is powered by the same 4.6-litre twin-turbocharged V8 found in the S 550 Sedan and Coupe models that makes 449 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque.
A Mercedes-AMG version of the new S-Class cabrio, the S 63 4MATIC, gets the same 577-horsepower 5.5-litre twin-turbocharged V8 found in the identically named coupe and sedan models.
The AMG version runs from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds, the same as the S 63 4MATIC Coupe.
Mercedes claims its new convertible is the world's most comfortable, offering everything from "intelligent climate control" to heated seats and armrests—even a neck-level heating system dubbed "AIRSCARF."
The S-Class Cabriolet also benefits from what's called the "AIRCAP" automatic wind protection system.
The car's soft top can be opened and closed at speeds as fast as 60 km/h.
Underpinning the drop-top S-Class is Mercedes' AIRMATIC semi-active air suspension.