The model might be called SEC, a name used from 1980 to 1991 on a coupe version of the stately w126-series S-Class. The original SEC had two doors like a standard coupe, but the 21st-century SEC will allegedly take the form of a four-door model that will share most of its middle section with the long-wheelbase version of the S sedan. It will receive a fast-sloping roofline inspired by the CLS, but it will look similar to the S-Class coupe when viewed from the front and the back.
The SEC will benefit from the same technological advances as the next S-Class, including a new active air suspension designed to make the ride as comfortable as possible. It will be offered with six- and eight-cylinder engines, and the lineup is expected to include a fuel-sipping plug-in hybrid drivetrain that might feature Mercedes’ wireless inductive charging technology. At the other end of the spectrum, the SEC could receive the next evolution of Mercedes’ V12 engine, and it’s safe to bet that at least one hot-rodded model tuned by Mercedes-AMG will launch a little later in the production run.
The next generation of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class will be introduced in 2020, meaning it will go on sale in time for the 2021 model year. England’s Car magazine speculates the SEC will be introduced in 2021, meaning we might not see it until the 2022 model year. Of course, a lot can happen by then, so only time will tell as to whether the CLS will get a bigger, more luxurious, and more powerful sibling.
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