Motoring: First look at the new 2016 Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet

This official sketch is our initial glimpse of Mercedes-Benz’s first-ever S-Class Cabriolet. Set to go head-to-head with the Bentley Continental GT Convertible, the prestigious fabric-roofed four-seater is due for a world debut at September’s Frankfurt motor show.

The car – which is said to feature the largest folding soft-top to ever see series production – is scheduled to hit showrooms in early 2016. Prices will range from £100,000-plus to more than £200,000.
The fully automatic, multi-layer roof itself is a highly advanced set-up. Its styling follows the roofline of the S-Class Coupé as closely as packaging requirements allow, and it features a large glass rear screen. Helping to retain the sleek exterior line, a large rear tonneau covers the soft-top when it’s stowed in the boot’s forward area. Looking at the Cabriolet from the nose backwards, the substantially strengthened windscreen frame, altered belt-line treatment, new rear panels and a heavily reworked boot lid are the main departures from its stablemate’s design.
The rear-wheel-drive Merc will initially be available with two twin-turbo petrol V8s: a 449bhp 4.6-litre in the S500 drop-top, and a 577bhp 5.5-litre in the S63 AMG. These will be joined in due course by a 621bhp twin-turbo 6.0-litre V12 in a S65 AMG Cabriolet range-topper.
Additional drive systems have yet to be confirmed, but we expect at least one model to be available with the option of 4MATIC four-wheel drive. An advanced tilt function that leans the car into corners, motorcycle-style, will be carried over from the S-Class Coupé as part of a reworked Magic Body Control system. This also features a road-scanner function to monitor the highway surface and change ride settings for optimum comfort.
The four-seat cabin will feature individual electronically adjustable rear chairs. The list of safety and convenience kit – both standard-fit and optional – will include head-up display, adaptive headlights, infra-red night vision, semi-autonomous Distronic Plus system with steering assistance, an advanced collision-prevention system and active lane keep.
The S-Class Cabriolet’s luxury features are equally high-tech; a front-seat massage function, fragrance dispenser and various Burmester surround-sound audio systems will all be available.