S-Class Cabriolet 'leaked'

With no competitor in sight, Benz is taking some liberties with its new S-Class Cabriolet.

The most obvious of those is leaking a detailed sketch that shows bits of both the interior and the exterior styling.

Due on sale next year, the S-Class Cabriolet will be the first convertible S-Class since 1971, available with all the usual S-Class engines and in both all-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive.

The sixth model derivative based on the latest S-Class, it joins the sedan, the longer one, the even longer one, the Coupe and the born-again Maybach limo.

The sketch shows a strong bodywork familial feel to the Coupe, with its sloping, chamfered rear, scalloped sides and semi-clamshell bonnet.

There will be a reinforced set of A-pillars to keep the pillarless rag-top in line with its siblings on crash safety, too.

A full four-seater, the S-Class Cabriolet will extend the flow of the centre console into the rear seats and retain the S-Class Coupe’s well-integrated dashboard.

While there have been whispers that the car could make its debut at next month’s Frankfurt motor show, it’s more likely to be either the Los Angeles show in November or the Detroit show in January.