An all-new S-Class sedan is slated for 2020, but it’s strictly a four-door affair.
It looks like the writing is on the wall for some Mercedes-Benz S-Class variants, at least as far as future development is concerned. Automobile magazine has a comprehensive report on the near-term activity for Stuttgart’s luxury automaker, which in this case extends from now through 2023. Yes, electric cars are coming, as are more SUVs. According to the report, however, we won’t see new versions of the S-Class Coupe or Cabriolet.
The modern-day S-Class Coupe arrived for the 2015 model year, evolving from the CL-Class prior to that. Similarly, the current S-Class Cabriolet arrived a year later and ultimately spawned a Maybach variant. Minor facelifts befell the models just last year, and the S-Class Sedan is slated for an all-new offering in 2020. While there is at least some demand (albeit on a very affluent level) for a snazzy, full-size luxury sedan costing six figures, the want for a similarly large two-door or roofless version apparently isn’t quite as strong. Automobile says that, while the coupe and cabrio should carry on through the 2020s, they won’t transition to the new S-Class platform and will eventually fade away.
For the record, a new S-Class Coupe starts life at $125,950. That price gets you a 463-horsepower (345-kilowatt) 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 and luxurious accommodations, though it’s not nearly as spiffy as a fully-optioned model with the Burmester sound system and an AMG styling package. That car, however, costs upwards of $160,000. The Cabriolet is pricier still, and full-on AMG models go well beyond the $200,000 mark.
That’s not to say Mercedes will simply step away from the high-end luxury two-door world. A new SL-Class is expected to arrive in 2020, and the AMG GT could well absorb some S-Class shoppers seeking topless travels and savvy rides with just two doors. There’s also nothing that says Mercedes can’t reverse course – it’s certainly happened throughout the automaker’s history.
In the meantime, enjoy the big grand touring machines while you can.
Source: Automobile Magazine
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