Mercedes-Benz Axes a Pair of Two-doors
Long rumored to be on the chopping block, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class coupe and cabriolet are now confirmed to be heading into their last year of existence.
The automaker confirmed the death sentence for these luxuriously large two-doors in its 2021 model year rundown, sealing the fate of yet another coupe and drop-top in the increasingly SUV-centric global auto landscape. Niche models, to be sure, but the impending loss is made all the more painful by the fact that Benz’s biggest coupe is pillarless.
Nothing excites your author more than a missing B-pillar.
Available in S560 or Mercedes-AMG S63 guise, the pair of two-doors represent the pinnacle of traditional personal luxury motoring. In Germany, anyway. They also represent a slice of autodom that increasingly sees fewer and fewer buyers each year.
Gone after the 2021 model year, the S-Class coupe and convertible will be joined by a handful of other low-volume models as the automaker continues efforts to streamline and simplify its crowded lineup. There’s also a new S-Class on the way for 2022, appearing in sedan form only.
Mercedes-Benz released a drawing of that future product just this week.
In detailing its new models, Mercedes-Benz placed added emphasis on new high-end SUVs — the automaker’s chosen path to improved profitability. Arriving for 2021 are an AMG GLE 63 S and AMG GLS 63, both built around a bi-turbo 4.0-liter V8 making 603 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. Then there’s the AMG GLE 63 S Coupe for those who loathe upright rear glass in their SUV.
Additional revenue will pour into parent Daimler’s coffers from the new Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 4MATIC, a loaded full-size SUV if there ever was one. Low-end buyers can choose from a new GLA or GLB. Yes, Mercedes-Benz is all about the utility come 2021, though there’s still something new for traditional car buyers.
For 2021, the automaker slots a new base model into its GT 4-Door Coupe range. The Mercedes-AMG GT 43 4-Door Coupe makes use of a 3.0-liter inline-six and carries a more affordable price than the 53 and 63 models, perhaps heralding the discontinuation of the likewise equipped CLS sedan — another model rumored to be headed for a date with death.
[Images: Daimler]
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This is disappointing. When it was first announced I thought that Mercedes was merely withdrawing the 2-Door S-Class models from the U.S. market, but would continue to sell them elsewhere, sort of like they do with C-Class station wagons, which gave me hope that they might come back to the U.S. market in the future. They were strikingly handsome vehicles and they'll be missed.
SUV ueber alles!