Mercedes will update the E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet as well as the mid-range sedan for 2014.
Some products define the breed. The Mercedes-Benz E-Class is one of them. It’s both the best-selling mid-range luxury sedan as well as the top-selling model for Mercedes itself. No wonder there’s so much interest in the all-new 2014 model coming to the North American International Auto Show next week.
We’ve already been given a sneak peek at what Mercedes’ top American executive, MBUSA CEO Steve Cannon calls the brand’s “bread-and-butter” sedan. Now, however, the German automaker is trying to spice things up by tossing out a few shots of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet, as well.
The maker also hints that, “The bold new styling is combined with sophisticated new assistance systems which are part of Mercedes-Benz “intelligent drive.” These new systems include technology that can help prevent accidents with crossing vehicles or pedestrians as well as an enhanced version of Active Lane Keeping Assist.”
The 2014 Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet will feature a system that automatically deploys to reduce wind buffeting and noise.
The E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet adopt a more familial styling theme, in closer keeping with the next-generation E-Class sedan, but that doesn’t make them clones.
They share the sedan’s redesigned front end which moves away from the twin-paired headlamps that have been an E-Class signature for the past several generations, adopting a new single-lens design framed by LEDs. The bumpers, meanwhile, adopt a more V-shaped appearance with larger, more athletic integral air intakes meant to give the coupe and cabrio a more sporty appearance.
The E-Class Coupe, meanwhile, features a long hood, extended side line, flat roof and bulging rear to underscore its rear-drive nature, and the fully retractable pillarless side windows are distinctive touches shared by the two-door models. The cabrio features a gently rising shoulder line that carrier through from front to rear.
Mercedes claims the new acoustic soft top developed for the E-Class convertible, meanwhile, will yield the quietest interior in the luxury cabrio segment, meanwhile.
Three versions of the Mercedes E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet will be offered for 2014.
The maker also notes that, “With the top down, the standard AIRCAP, which reduces interior turbulence and wind noise, ensures exceptional convertible driving comfort, especially in the rear seat. Now at speeds over 25 mph the AIRCAP system deploys automatically, and at speeds less than 10 mph the wind deflector in the windshield frame is automatically retracted again to present the E-Class Cabriolet in its purest and most beautiful form during slow driving and at a stop.”
The wind deflector between the rear headrests, meanwhile, automatically adjusts itself depending upon the number of riders in back.
The 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet models will offer the same array of safety technologies as the E-Class Sedan, such as collision warning, brake assist and Active Lane Keeping Assist, though they add a number of new features the maker has collectively dubbed “intelligent drive,” such as the ability to detect crossing traffic and pedestrians.
To achieve the improved level of safety, Mercedes has added a range of new sensors, such as a Stereo Multi-Purpose Camera mounted near the rearview mirror. It can produce a three-dimensional image at distances of up to 165 feet and monitor conditions up to nearly a third of a mile.
Both Coupe and Cabriolet will feature more sporty suspension tuning, with selective damping through the Mercedes Agility Control system.
The maker says it will offer three U.S. models:
- E350 Coupe and Cabriolet: direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 (302 hp, 273 lb.-ft.)
- E350 4MATIC Coupe: all-wheel-drive, direct-injection 3.5-liter V6 (302 hp, 273 lb.-ft.)
- E550 Coupe and Cabriolet: 4.6-liter direct-injection biturbo V8 (402 hp, 443 lb.-ft.)
Look for the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet models to reach showrooms by summer.