Camouflaged version of the latest Mercedes S-Class spotted testing; set to take on the Bentley Continental GTC later in 2015
The forthcoming Mercedes S-Class Cabriolet has been spotted testing, having shed some of its disguise.
The car is set to be launched towards the end of this year, before going on sale in early 2016. It is expected to be offered with a similar engine line-up as the S-Class Coupé, with a selection of V8 and V12 petrol engines. The V6 engines will be omitted from the range.
By keeping the engine range exclusive and high-end, it will provide Mercedes with a rival to the likes of the Bentley Continental GTC.
The spy shots show that the cabriolet will come with a folding soft-top roof and take many of its styling cues from the S-Class Coupé, including its tail-lights. However, it is is expected to feature a different bootlid and will feature mild styling changes to accommodate its roof-folding mechanism.
Also clear is the heavily raked windscreen (shared with the S-Class Coupé) and the large rear quarterlight window, which gives an indication that the rear cabin will be relatively generous for a soft-top. Early prototypes for the new model had been seen as far back as 2012.
Compared with the E-Class Cabriolet, the S-Class will have a roomier, higher-quality cabin, which will be part of its appeal to owners who want the space to carry a pair of adult passengers in open-top luxury.
Mercedes has previously floated the idea of a luxury soft-top in the shape of the 2006 Ocean Drive concept, although that experimented with four-door styling.
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