The new Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet mimics the coupe derivative in terms of dimensions and mechanicals, and uses a new soft top that can be opened or retracted within 20 seconds.
The last time Mercedes-Benz made a convertible version of its flagship S-Class was in 1971 only to have stopped the model altogether in the following decades. However, making a comeback after 44 years, the Stuttgart based automaker has officially revealed the 2016 Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet in images ahead of its public debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The new S-Class Cabriolet mimics its coupe derivative measuring an identical 5027 mm in length and 1899 mm in width, while the height measures at 1413 mm, being 4 mm taller.
In terms of design too, the 2016 Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet follows closely on the lines of the coupe with the bold front, enhanced bumpers with wide air intakes and LED jewel-themed DRLs making for one pleasing sight. The cabriolet distinguishes itself with a new soft top that can be opened or retracted within 20 seconds at speeds up to 60 km/hr. As Mercedes puts it, this soft top comprises of three layers with the outer most fabric cover incorporating a butyl layer in order to avoid water creeping inside, while the mid layer comes with upholstery matting and an acoustically optimised roof lining to reduce noise levels.
Mercedes-Benz has added a host of new features like the AIRSCARF that essentially is a heater for your neck and AIRCAP system that deflects the wind out of the cabin area in order to avoid turbulence and draughts when the top is down. You also get a new THERMOTRONIC climate control system that is a fully automatic control unit and uses 12 sensors and 18 actuators to detect the heat, solar radiation and other details to provide the ideal cabin temperature. The other bits are shared with the S-Class coupe as the well appointed interiors covered in top-notch leather and wood continue to fascinate.
Under the hood, the 2016 Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet shares its powertrain with the Coupe using a 4.7-litre turbocharged V8 engine tuned to produce 455 HP of power and 700 Nm of torque, paired to a 9G Tronic automatic transmission. There is also an S63 AMG Cabriolet on offer tuned at Affalterbach and uses a 5.5-litre BiTurbo V8 motor producing 577 HP and a whopping 900 Nm of torque, paired to a 7-speed SpeedShift MCT transmission that sends power to all four wheels via the 4MATIC AWD system. The cabriolet does the 0-100 km/hr sprint in 3.9 seconds with the top speed limited to 250 km/hr.
Mercedes-Benz will be showcasing the new S-Class Cabriolet at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month while the order books will open internationally by December this year. Deliveries for the model are set to commence in early 2016. Given how enthusiastic Mercedes has been in India, the new S-Class Cabriolet will most likely make it to our market joining the S-Class sedan and coupe models and could be launched in the second half of 2016.
