Mercedes’ new S-class coupe is undergoing its final few months of testing before it is expected to arrive in the showrooms in late summer after a Geneva motor show debut next month.
The styling of the car was very closely previewed last autumn at theFrankfurt motor show by a concept car of the same name which, on the outside, only differed from the production model very minor ways.
This test car’s interior is also lightly disguised enough to clearly show the huge twin LED screens, four-vent dash face and the Comand system on the centre console.
Based on the same all-new platform as the S-class, the new flagship – codenamed C117 and a replacement for the current CL - will have the same innovative features as the big saloon, including a monocoque structure made from a mix of high strength and lightweight aluminum (the latter accounting for over 50 per cent of the bodyshell’s make-up).
Judging by what has been achieved with the structure of the S-class saloon, the coupé will see a huge leap in torsional rigidity over today’s CL.
This should, in turn, see big gains in ride and handling over the outgoing model, especially with addition of Magic Body Control, which scans the road ahead and adjusts the dampers and air suspension in anticipation of the approaching road surface.
It seems safe to assume that the new coupé will have the same 7G-Tronic Plus seven-speed autobox and the same optional all-wheel drive as its sister car. The coupe is unlikely to get the same wide choice of engines as the four-door, but the 449bhp 4.7-litre V8 and 577bhp 5.4-litre V8 engines and a range-topping all-wheel drive 621bhp V12 all seem good bets for production.
US sales will probably demand that there is at least one hybrid version, with the S500 plug-in the probable choice
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