End of the line?
 

From what I've been told the 2019MY will be the last for the S coupes and cabs, too bad. Anyone heard anything to the contrary? I'd magine this won't be very good for resale vaues.

Cross posting on w222 forum due to lthe very ow activity on the 217 forum.

I already posted this in the 222 forum. Yes, it's the end of the line of the coupes/cabs.

Was hoping it wasn't true...I would imagine there should be some king sized discounts on what's left coming in the near future?

Apparently so, very limited audience and very expensive to produce. I am looking into another one, either a leftover 18, or a 19, but will wait for the large discounts which usually occur when a vehicle goes out of production, unless it's an aircooled 911 or certain F cars etc... :)

Lots of changes with MB. Convertibles, Coupes and SLK/SLC and SL are to be gone in the next couple of years. Basically people want SUV's or if they are spending that kind of money on a car they want a Porsche, Z06, GTR, Lamborghini or Ferrari and buy the sedan or SUV it seems to be.

No SL...wow.

There are lots of changes coming tp be sure. Some planned planned ones and I am sure some surprises due to a new CEO and electrification.

The SL will not go away btw. The S-Class Coupe was planned to go away for MY21. Of course it could be sooner but I think that's unlikely given that the cost for the face-lift re-tooling has already occurred.
The new R232 SL will actually be the new S-Class cab moving forward (model merge)

Then it's going 2+2 I'd assume?

The SLC and the S/Coupe cabrio are going away, the rest are staying so all of them are NOT going. The SL is being redesigned, as are the C Coupe and Convertible, ditto for the E Coupe and Cabrio. The E Coupe/Cabrio models made up 25% of the E_Class sales in the U.S. so they clearly aren't going anywhere.

M

Buckle Your Seatbelt
 

Quite obviously the entire automotive industry is shifting away from traditional passenger cars to SUV's and pickups. Ford alone will soon be down to only 2 passenger car models. It's ALL about sales & profits so when segment demand wanes, manufacturers look for the more profitable venues. If Millennials wake up one morning and decide they all want 8 passenger electric powered Checker cabs, trust me, they will soon be produced. There is no doubt the auto industry is going through a huge systemic change with alternative fuels, self-driving vehicles and the dissolution of America's love affair with the automobile. The S-Class coupe has always only been a small fraction of S-Class sedan sales, and now that every coupe in the Mercedes lineup looks indistinguishable from each other, it was inevitable that further models will be cut. The limited market SL will continue as long as the SL buyers still enjoy wheeling to the country club. Then again, country clubs don't seem to too popular anymore, either. More change is coming, so buckle your seatbelt, while you still have one.

That's the word but I hope not. Loosing the hardtop is bad enough but a 2+2 makes for an inferior top down experience...

+1
They have seen how well Maseratti has done with large 2+2 convertibles, even the F-type Jag's are going this route. I quite franlkly find large full four seat verts unappealing to the eye.

SL will be a ragtop now. But I doubt that will actually last long and will be cut soon too. Not many sales of the SL :(

I think it's failing because it's still a bit fugly despite the previous refresh and people seem to want true full size 2+2 verts these days.

If MB wants a hit they should do a true retro version of one former model, not a mish mosh.

It's the design and the fact that market has contracted, but the next SL will be a 2+2 and replace the S Coupe/Cabrio in one swoop. Still though it will never sell like it did years ago. The market just isn't there for most convertibles.

M

How can they expect it to replace the S coupe when they're going to a soft top?

Not sure, but either way all indications are that the coupe is gone and the next SL is replacing it. I'm excited to see what they come up with.

M

Clearly that is a piss poor render based on the new Aston Martin Vantage. Not sure what the point of posting it is.

M

.....

Because it appears to look like almost all of the renderings for the new SL when searching and it's from Autobild...that's why. :rolleyes:

It's a garbage render man.

M

Says you...

Yep because it's clearly an Aston Martin, you guys believe anything here lol. Autobild renders went to dogs years ago.

M

Autocar Uk feels the same way...

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...ocused-sl-2020

You do realize that the render is done by one entity and bought/used by whomever right?

M

Not going to happen. The SL will stay as much as the S-Class. Too much history for Mercedes. While the current SL should have looked better, the car has not lost sales to other convertibles. It's a segmentation issue.
Roadsters as a category are having a tough time. The AMG GT is a good example. Sells well as a coupe, poorly as a roadster and this is a great looking car without some of the design comprises inflicted on the R231. It is just more sporty and lacking many of the GT/luxury touches.

Coupe is going and Cab + SL becomes SL

Here's a question. Will there be a coupe version of the SL? Too, too hot here for convertibles.

Of course I realize this, but I really like what I've seen so far and it appears to be a 2+2 and has some under-tones of the SLS roadster.

This and the image I posted appear to be the latest of what's out there...I tried to find someting in Auto Motor und Sport but nothing I could find thus far.

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I do indeed.

From what's been said here and what I've seen it doesn't look like it...if they continued with the folding hardtop it could have been the best of both worlds...

From the C/A217 forum

Quote:
Originally Posted by jbattan https://mbworld.org/forums/images/cu...s/viewpost.gif
The SL will turn into a 2+2 soft top in only AMG variants (43, 53, 63, and maybe someday 73).
The next S Cabriolet will come from the Vision 6.

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You were misinformed. I just spoke with MB in Atlanta HQ and they are NOT discontinuing the S coupe. It will see a revision in 2022 possibly 2023. The cabriolet will also continue. They will NEVER do away with their flagship coupe. PERIOD. That is straight from Mercedes Benz. They might not continue making the Cab after the revision but for now, the car is tooled and any money they make on the cars is better than nothing. Sales seem to be pretty good on all but the Cabs. I live where convertibles rule and I've only seen 1 in the four years they have been produced. Bentley's Convertibles rule here, you can see one at every intersection.

If the E class Cabrio were to disappear, it would be my last Mercedes purchase.

I don't see why it would, it and the Coupe made up 25% of E-Class sales in the U.S. last year. That is a really healthy amount in today's crossover obsessed world.

M

I would be happy if they are. Personally I find the coupe one of the best looking Mercedes models in a long time. It is highly regarded, well liked and the non-AMG halo car. I recently checked out the new BMW M850i and that car is the opposite of the S-Class coupe. Huge B-pillar, dark, cramped feeling in a large car, low head room, low visibility, etc. The S-Class coupe interior sets standards. Airy and luxurious. A very nice place to be :)

But unless you have deep connections at the MBUSA management level that would give you off the record insights; calling MB is like calling Apple and asking somebody that answers the phone about their upcoming model strategy. Don't expect actual info coming your way...
The Coupe/cab has been facelifted more comprehensively with tech/engine updates; this is an investment that has not been afforded to the SL. To some extend this speaks to the ongoing production at least in the short-term, but word in Germany is that the model is EOL.

+1 on all accounts in both paragraphs...and even if he did have deep connections, I would imagine they would not be very pleased he leaked this kind intel, but maybe they just don't care?

Re similar posts on 217 forum where someone had their dealer call Germany: Very surprised MB in Germany is factually confirming future models a year out with US dealers and letting them disclose it to the public? I will pass this info on to mine and see what they have to say. i am glad the coupes will continue as i liked both of mine.

There was discussion on pruning the line-up as early as 2017 by Zetschke but nothing is carved in stone. These cars have always been niche cars and many US customers have moved away from these. I wonder even how the new Bentley Continentals will sell. They already loose between $20k-$30k per vehicle on average (new cars are discounted up to $90k). Since China doesn't take to these cars it just becomes a very small numbers game.
Sad for me as I don't care for SUV's for anything else but utility vehicles.

Yes I agree...I think the jury may still be out, but I'd really like to see the big coupes continue

I like my 2018 S63 coupe a lot. I hope they continue.

Speaking of the SL...here's Lexus' answer...and it appears to be a 2+2

The S coupe is big, heavy, etc. It's a luxury cruiser. The current SL is....not pretty and by comparison of previous models has been a relative failure for MB. Excepting the facelift R230. That was also considered to be a flop. There's room in the market for the S coupe and the SL. They are a niche segment, and the cost reflects that.

:)
And the newer ones 18+ are even better especially due to the 9G...may pick up a lightly used one vs a new 560 this summer.

When I was on the MB Factory Tour of the S Class plant last month in Sindelfingen I saw a gorgeous S63 Convertible come off the line and get driven to another area for us to look at inside the plant. It was silver with a red interior and just scrumptious. I thought... whoa, NICE! I kind of remember them saying that they wouldn't be making them anymore soon but I could be wrong. The tour and entire experience was beyond fascinating.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...14d53e6ef1.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...d442550cb7.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...ce837f2a18.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.mbw...541a05f7c5.jpg

I agree. I traded a 15 S63 coupe for the 18. The 18 is a huge upgrade over the 15.

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What do you think I can get a CPO'd ultra low mileage 18 for these days?
Normally only buy new but since amg cars get hammered on resale I may go this route, or how much off a leftover new 18? 25%?

Nice pics and good intel

Some new/different info on the new SL:

https://carbuzz.com/news/new-mercede...rs-of-all-time

The big, heavy coupes and cabs are not sports cars or roadsters, the are just that, big heavy GT type coupes/cabs. Mine drove like the large Gentleman's Touring car they're supposed to be and if I wanted sharper handling I'd just press the sport setting. Funny, some want the new SL to be sportier and sharper and others want a luxo soft riding cruiser...really can't have it all unfortunately.

I'd bet your S sedan does not have run-craps...when I removed mine it transformed the car...the difference in ride quality was amazing and the reduction of unsprung weight transformed the way it handled. These have no business being on these vehicles!

+1