Fabric-roofed four-seater Mercedes S-Class will go on sale in the UK early next year, with prices starting from upwards of £100,000
The first official picture of the 2016 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Cabriolet has been released prior to the plush new upmarket four-seat open-top making its world debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September.
The new convertible has been pictured alongside an example of the last version of Mercedes’ open-top S-Class, which was sold from 1961 to 1971.
The latest S-Class Cabriolet, known under the internal codename A217, is being pitched as a direct rival to the Bentley Continental GT Convertible, with prices set to start at upwards of £100,000 and extending to more than £200,00 when UK sales get under way in early 2016.
The S-Class cabriolet uses what Mercedes-Benz sources describe as the largest folding fabric roof to ever see series production.
The fully automatic, multi-layer arrangement, which receives a generously dimensioned glass rear window, has been styled to replicate the roofline of the S-Class Coupé, although packaging requirements mean the rear section is more heavily angled, giving the new car much smaller rear side windows and a considerably longer boot deck than its fixed-roof sibling.
Among the changes to the body are a substantially strengthened windscreen frame, altered belt line treatment, new rear wing panels and a heavily reworked boot lid.
To preserve its exterior line when the roof is lowered, the S-Class Coupé also receives a large toneau cover behind the rear seats. It opens at the press of button to accommodate the roof structure, stowing it in the forward section of the boot.
Among two initial petrol engines planned to see service in the new car are a 449bhp twin-turbocharged 4.6-litre V8 petrol unit in the S500 cabriolet and a 577bhp twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 engine in the S63 AMG cabriolet.
Later on, Mercedes-Benz also plans to add a 621bhp twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 to the line-up in a plush, range-topping S65 AMG cabriolet.
Although it is yet to be confirmed, Autocar understands the S-Class Cabriolet will be sold with standard rear-wheel drive along with the option of Mercedes-Benz’s 4Matic four-wheel drive system on at least one model.
Other technology planned to be brought over from the latest S-Class Coupé includes an advanced tilt function that forms part of a reworked magic ride control system capable of leaning the car in to corners in a manner similar to that of a motorcycle.
The same system also boasts a road scanner function that digitally reads the road surface and automatically alters the stiffness of the hydraulic dampers for optimum ride comfort.
Inside, the new open-top Mercedes provides seating for four, with the individual electronically adjustable rear seats separated by a centre console. Owing to the inclusion of the storage area for the roof behind the cabin, the boot capacity fails to match the 400 litres offered by the S-Class Coupé.
Along with its cutting-edge chassis technology, the S-Class Cabriolet is also set to receive a wide range of high-end driver assistant and safety systems as either standard or optional.
Included is a new head-up display system, adaptive headlights with an automatic high-beam assistant, the semi-autonomous Distronic Plus system with steering assistance, a collision-prevention feature that automatically applies the brakes when an impending impact is detected at speeds between 4mph and 124mph, an active lane-keeping function and infra-red night vision.
Further comfort features will include a fragrance dispenser, a massage function for the front seats and a series of high-end Burmester surround-sound audio options, including a 3D system that Mercedes-Benz officials have told Autocar has been specially developed for the open top qualities of the S-Class Cabriolet.
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