Mercedes-Benz shows off in style
Luxury carmaker rolls out wow-worthy models and future-thinking concepts
FRANKFURT, GERMANY— MercedesBenz chose its home turf here in Germany to debut the new convertible version of its successful S-class sedan. It’s the first top-of-the-line, open-roof, four-seater for the maker since 1971.
It was a strange debut, however, that shared stage time for the media at a pre-show event with an announcement of funding for Syrian refugees. Like Audi, Mercedes will contribute a million euros to assist the desperate refugees, and will also match employee donations.
“Anybody who knows the past isn’t allowed to turn refugees away,” said Dieter Zetsche, head of MercedesBenz cars. “Anybody who sees the present can’t turn them away. Anybody who thinks about the future will not turn them away.”
And then the next day, at the S-class cabriolet’s official show debut, the car shared the stage with a video of it at a party on a billionaire-style yacht, to emphasize the aspirations of the ultra-rich. It seemed a strange pairing of announcements, but as Zetsche pointed out, the refugees are often well educated and just need a chance to prove themselves.
As he put it, “I read recently that a quarter of America’s fastest-growing companies of the last few years were founded by immigrants.”
The new S-class cabriolet is also available as an AMG S63, making 585 hp from its 5.5 litre V8 biturbo engine. Both models weigh about the same as the coupe equivalents, thanks to greater use of lightweight materials like aluminum and magnesium. They also claim to be exceptionally rigid, for better handling that is often compromised by removing a car’s roof.
The cabriolet’s climate control system uses 12 sensors and 18 actuators to make sure air conditions in the vehicle are unaffected by putting down the top, and the three-layer roof is claimed to be at least as quiet as any other convertible. Coldweather driving is countered by the S-class’s available heaters for the armrests and centre console, as well as standard heated seats and Mercedes’s own Airscarf neck heaters.
The S-class wasn’t the only new convertible to make its debut on Mercedes’ stage. The third-generation smart fortwo, revealed only recently to media, showed off its cabriolet edition. The topless smart will be available as both a conventionally-powered model and an all-electric model.
Zetsche also introduced the C-class coupe, which again uses lightweight construction materials but is now longer than the previous generation by 95 mm and wider by 40 mm.
The suspension is set up for a sportier drive, and air suspension is an option, with five different selectable driving modes. As with the S-class, an AMG version will also be available when the car goes on sale early next year.
The star of the show for Mercedes, however, was its Concept IAA car, intended to demonstrate what’s possible for both aerodynamic efficiency and interior sedan design.
The name officially means “Intelligent Aerodynamic Automobile,” but it’s no coincidence the acronym is also the German name for Frankfurt’s International Auto Show.
When the Concept IAA reaches 80 km/h, it automatically changes its shape like a Transformer to become more aerodynamic. Rear flaps extend up to 390 mm to channel air smoothly away, while flaps in the front bumper extend both forward and back to cut wind resistance. The sleeker shape brings the car’s drag coefficient down from 0.25 to 0.19.
Inside, the cabin is based on the S-class interior but there is increased use of touch sensitive controls, including on the two-spoke steering wheel.
The car was also intended as a digital design exercise for Mercedes. Engineers and designers used 3D printing and digitization to speed its development from start to finish to only10 months, instead of the18-month minimum that would normally be expected for a concept vehicle.