Revised Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and Cabriolet get new V8 and tweaked styling

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled facelifted versions of the S-Class Coupé and Cabriolet less than two years after they were introduced in the UK.

Set to make their public debut at the Frankfurt motor show, the upmarket two-door cars adopt a number of subtle styling changes and new OLED tail-lights. Each tail-light incorporates 66 individual OLEDs, providing a distinctive new light graphic. There is also an updated infotainment system and a revised range of interior trims.

Included in the styling makeover are lightly altered bumpers with added chrome highlights, as well as revised sills and chrome-plated tailpipes that mimick those used by the earlier S65 Coupé and Cabriolet.

The performance-oriented models also receive the latest AMG grille treatment, with vertical louvers replacing the former blade design, as well as a front bumper with larger air ducts for more efficient cooling of the engine bay and front brakes.

Inside, there are three new trim lines, as well as the choice of three new upholstery lines. The S-Class Coupé and Cabriolet’s 12.3in digital instrument cluster has been upgraded with revised graphics and the choice of three new themes: Classic, Sport and Progressive. The Comand infotainment system also gets a software upgrade, allowing it to support 3D topographical map displays and Car-to-X messages, among other functions.

Mercedes has also provided its range-topping coupé and cabriolet models with revised driver assistance systems in the form of Active Distance Control Distronic cruise control and Active Steering Assist functions already brought to the S-Class Saloon.

The starting point for the line-up is now the S450 4Matic Coupé. It retains the same turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine as its predecessor, the S400, with 362bhp and 368lb ft.

Further up, the flagship coupé and cabriolet adopt the latest generation of V8 petrol engines already found in the S-Class Saloon. A twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 in the new S560 4Matic Coupé and Cabriolet models replace the older twin-turbocharged 4.6-litre V8 in the outgoing S500 Coupé and Cabriolet.

The new engine, which features a cylinder shut-off function for added fuel savings in city driving, delivers 13bhp more than the engine it replaces at 462bhp, but the same 516lb ft as before, providing the new S560 4Matic Coupé with a claimed 0-62mph time of 4.6sec and limited 155mph top speed. It has a combined consumption of 35.3mpg and CO2 emissions of 183g/km.

The S63 4Matic Coupé and Cabriolet have also been reworked. They adopt a more heavily tuned version of the twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 used by the S560 4Matic in place of the older twin-turbocharged 5.5-litre V8 used by their predecessors. Power is up by 26bhp to 603bhp, with torque remaining the same as before at 663lb ft.

The new AMG engine channels its drive through a nine-speed version of AMG’s speedshift automatic gearbox and a revised four-wheel-drive system boasting fully variable apportioning of drive to each axle, endowing the 2018 S63 4Matic+ Coupé with a claimed 0-62mph time of 3.5sec and limited 155mph top speed. It has a combined fuel consumption of 30.3mpg and an official CO2 rating of 211g/km.

At the top of the line-up is the S65 Coupé and Cabriolet. As in the S65 Saloon, it retains the same twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 engine. It delivers 621bhp and 737lb ft of torque to provide 0-62mph acceleration in 4.1sec and a limited 155mph top speed. It has a combined fuel consumption of 23.7mpg and CO2 emissions of 279g/km.

All models receive Mercedes’ nine-speed 9G-Tronic automatic gearbox, save for the range-topping S65 Coupé and Cabriolet, which retain the older seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic owing to their high torque loads. The S560 Cabriolet as well as the S65 Coupé and Cabriolet are sold exclusively with rear-wheel drive. The remaining models all feature 4Matic four-wheel drive.

S-Class Coupé pricing will start from just over £100,000 (around £1000 more than the outgoing model), while the Cabriolet will cost from around £111,000. Coupé and cabriolet models have accounted for around 15 percent of total S-Class sales in the UK so far this year.