The Mercedes-Benz S-Class has long represented the brand’s ultimate blend of luxury, elegance and performance. It’s also been a leader in technology and innovation.
For 2017, the S-Class receives a brand new body style – a convertible. Based on S-Class Coupe, it offers luxurious accommodations for four, and power cloth retractable roof that can be raised or lowered in 17 seconds at speeds of up to 50 km/h. Though Benz already offers the mega-buck SL-Class roadster, the S-Class Cabriolet targets a different audience, rivaling the Bentley Continental GTC and Rolls-Royce Dawn. Pricing ranges from $164,300 to an eye-wincing $273,200.
In typical Mercedes fashion, the S-Class Cabrio uses technology to temper the great outdoors for a more comfortable ride. Heated and ventilated seats are standard, as is Airscarf, Benz’s neck-warming system. Benz also includes its Aircap system as standard. At the press of a button, a pair of power-operated wind deflectors rise from the top of the windshield and behind the rear-seat passengers to reduce in-cabin turbulence.
The S-Class Cabriolet is offered with the same three powertrains as the Coupe. The S 550 uses a 4.7-litre twin-turbo V8 engine that develops 449 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque paired to a nine-speed automatic. The S 63 uses a larger 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 hand-assembled by AMG’s craftsmen; it produces 577 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. For the ultimate performance and luxury experience, there’s the S 65 AMG, which uses a 6.0-litre twin-turbocharged V12 that develops 621 hp and 738 lb-ft of torque. The S 550 and S 65 AMG a rear-wheel drive; the S 63 AMG uses Benz’s 4Matic all-wheel drive system.
In addition to the Cabriolet, the S-Class range also includes coupe, regular- and long-wheelbase sedan body styles, plus the Mercedes-Maybach which further extends the wheelbase offering an additional eight inches of interior space over the long-wheelbase sedan.
The regular-wheelbase S-Class sedan is available in S 400 and S 550 forms; the former uses a 329-hp twin-turbo V6, the latter a 449-hp twin-turbo V8. Both get 4Matic all-wheel drive and a seven-speed automatic as standard.
More powertrain choices are available on the long-wheelbase sedan. The S 550 e plug-in hybrid is the most frugal S-Class on offer, with a 438-hp V6-based powertrain. Next up is the S 550 4Matic, and S 63 AMG 4 Matic Sedan, both of which use turbocharged V8s. V12 power continues to be offered for the S 600, S 65 AMG, and the Mercedes-Maybach S 600.
Just about every conceivable luxury feature is either fitted as standard, or is available on the S-Class. Four-zone climate control, power-operated rear seats with heating and ventilation, and massaging functions are all accounted for. Heated arm rests, and a hot-stone massage function for the seats? The Maybach goes so far as to offer hand-stitched leather upholstery, and pillow diamond stitching for the dashboard. Much the same can be said for active safety technology; the latest S-Class has near-autonomous capabilities, and is capable of parking and driving on its own for brief periods of time.
The Coupe and Cabriolet also feature distinctive luxury and technology features. All non-convertible S-Class models receive panoramic sunroofs as standard, but the Coupe can be upgraded to include Magic Sky Control, which tints the glass at the press of a button – a neat feature borrowed from Benz’s glass-topped roadsters. Both the Coupe and Cabriolet can be fitted with optional LED headlamps that featured embedded Swarovski crystals.
