The gob-smacking new S-Class coupe has only just made its debut at Geneva, yet Mercedes-Benz has confirmed there’s still more to come in the S-Class line, including a revival of the Maybach name for a Pullman-style, mega-luxury range-topper.

Talking to Australian media, Mercedes-Benz head of global sales and marketing Ola Kallenius said the forthcoming S-Class portfolio would be “as wide as it has ever been”, with the number of variants totalling “six models, of which we have presented three [short- and long-wheelbase S-Class sedan, S-Class coupe], and hinted at the fourth”.

That fourth model is the S-Class convertible, previewed as the Concept Ocean Drive at Detroit way back in 2007, though unlike that four-door concept the production S-Class drop-top will be a two-door similar to the S-Class coupe it will be derived from. Given the new coupe’s smaller boot (100 litres less than the previous CL’s to reduce rear overhang and butch-up the styling), the forthcoming S-Class convertible will feature a packaging-friendly fabric roof, just like the last S-Class convertible that ceased production in 1971.

As for the extra models, S-Class chief engineer Dr Hermann-Joseph Storp confirmed “we will have an S-Class Maybach version … the rest may be station wagon, convertible, what you can imagine … a station wagon is good for families, no?”

True to engineer form, Dr Storp candidly let slip that what he calls the “Putin Edition” will feature the Maybach name, but that the level of Maybach branding would simply be “initials” – the flagship will remain first and foremost an S-Class.

Dr Storp’s mention of an S-Class station wagon hints at the possibility of a shooting brake version, though the company is reportedly unsure as to whether an S-Class wagon has legs.

The 2014 New York show that opens next Friday might not have the sheer size and scale of the Detroit show, but it promises to be no less exciting.

With car makers, and thousands of journalists, from across the globe flocking to the Big Apple, this year’s motor show is shaping up to be one of the best yet.

Here are some of the highlights, but be sure to tune back to wheelsmag.com.au on Thursday 17 April for all the news as it breaks.

Mazda MX-5

It’s a little early to see the finished version of Mazda’s new MX-5, but New York promises to provide a sneak peak under its skirt. Rumour is Mazda will show the bare chassis of its new two-seat roadster, along with a special 25th anniversary version of the current car. Expect the new model to be smaller and lighter, with Mazda keen to return to the MX-5’s performance roots. More news on an Italian twin should also emerge. Will it be an Alfa? Or a Fiat? Stay tuned to find out.

BMW M4/X4

It’s a duo of fours for BMW in New York with the Bavarian brand showing both its new M4 convertible and X4 crossover. Lighter than the old M3 version, the new M4 drop-top is still 200kg heavier than its hardtop sibling, but boasts the same 317kW/550Nm twin-turbo six. That means a 0-100km/h dash of 4.4 seconds. As for the X4, with engines nicked from the X3 and styling taken from the bigger X6, it’s BMW’s rival to the new Porsche Macan.

Land Rover

Land Rover will debut its new Discovery line of cars with the Discovery Vision Concept. Due to launch next year, expect its design language to be radically different inside and out, with the company abandoning the established look of the Discovery 3 and 4.

Mercedes S63 AMG Coupe

The hottest version of Merc’s sexy S-Class coupe, the plush S63 churns out a staggering 430kW from its 5.5-litre V8.

Dodge

It wouldn’t be an American show without some good old-fashioned muscle. Expect Dodge to show its new Challenger and Charger.

Hyundai Sonata

Already leaked before the show, Hyundai will show its new Sonata in New York. Aussies should pay attention, with Hyundai planning to bring the seventh-generation mid-sizer Down Under.

Subaru Outback

Subaru will show its all-new Outback, with styling tipped to be heavily influenced by the new Legacy.

Meet the Land Rover Discovery Vision concept – a car with gesture controls, laser headlights and an invisible bonnet.

Oh, and you can drive it by remote control.

Yep, this new concept – which Wheels has been given exclusive access to ahead of tomorrow’s New York motor show – allows a “driver to manoeuvre the car at very low speed while not actually seated inside it”.

Instead drivers control the car via a removable section of the centre console, or by their smartphone or tablet.

Land Rover sees the function being used for extreme off-roading, coupling a trailer or driving through gates, to avoid repeatedly getting in and out of the car.

But don’t think the Discovery Vision is a one-trick pony – it’s bristling with cutting-edge tech.

Laser headlights, similar to those in BMW’s i8 sports car, double a driver’s vision at night, infrared laser sensors provide detailed information on upcoming terrain, and all seven seats can be moved via the central console into four different configurations – headlined by a four-seat ‘limousine’ mode.

Doors are opened by gesture commands (so no doorhandles, anywhere), even the steering wheel has touchscreens, and clever cameras in the car’s grille project images of the road underneath onto smartglass in the windscreen – effectively making the bonnet ‘invisible’.

But, while all this sounds impressive, this Discovery concept is much more than a tech fest. It’s way more important than that.

Look past the gizmos and take in its styling and what you’re seeing is a very glimpse at a whole family of future Land Rover Discovery models.

Early talk is that as many as four new Discovery variants will stem from the concept, with Land Rover keen to expand the Discovery brand in the way it has with Range Rover.

As for the styling, Land Rover has a reputation for building the production car first, then jazzing it up to create a concept.

So imagine smaller wheels (the concept rides on 23-inch rims), wack on some doorhandles, and you’re pretty close to the real thing.

Stay tuned for more Land Rover news and all the reveals from the New York motor show as they happen. Or simply follow us on Facebook for instant updates.

Kia’s long-awaited all-new Carnival will hit town just before Christmas.

The third generation Korean people-mover is one of the few fresh-from-the-ground-up world premieres at this year’s New York International Auto Show.

Styled under the watch of former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, the Carnival moves to a more cab-forward shape with a 40mm-longer wheelbase and shorter front and rear overhangs for improved interior space efficiency.

So, while the overall dimensions remain about the same, with the Kia retaining the outgoing nine-year-old model’s 2+3+3 seating configuration and sliding side doors, there is now more space for legs and shoulders.

The Carnival’s engineers have also raised the hip point, improving driver vision.

Kia describes the more horizontal dash layout as exuding a “premium” ambience, and backs this up with softer-touch materials and more contemporary features such as a centrally located touchscreen and an array of multi-media connectivity interfaces.

Whether the locally bound Carnival will boast the downloadable apps (that include internet radio streaming, Google Play and iTunes connectivity) touted for its US-market Sedona twin is unknown.

Storage solutions include a large bin between the front seats, a sliding second row that can be folded upright to facilitate bulkier items without the need to remove heavy bench seats, and a third row with a 60:40 split-fold design that retracts into the floor with one simple operation.

The Sedona twin’s second-row revolving ‘Captain’s Chairs’ (with an ottoman), Nappa leather upholstery and two-tone interior trimming are unlikely to make it on Australian Carnivals.

Behind the corporate ‘Tiger Nose’ grille will be a choice of two powerplants for our market – a new 205kW/336Nm (American-spec) 3.3-litre direct-injection V6 petrol (replacing the old 3.5-litre version) and a 2.2-litre common-rail four-cylinder turbo-diesel delivering about 140kW and 430Nm.

Both will drive the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Kia says the Carnival’s monocoque platform is completely new, with improved torsional stiffness courtesy of improved welding and bonding techniques, as well as 76 percent Ultra High and High Strength steel.

The pillars have been reinforced to provide extra roof strength, the result being an expected US vehicle safety rating of five stars.

There is a suite of new or improved active and passive safety items, including stability and traction control with Cornering Brake Control, anti-lock brakes with Electronic Brake Force Distribution and Brake Assist, Hill Start Assist and Roll Over Mitigation.

For the first time, the Carnival buyer has the options of a forward collision warning system, radar-based automatic cruise control, blind-spot detection and rear cross-traffic alert.

On the refinement front, the suspension’s dampers have been revised for a suppler ride, the rear subframe is better isolated to cut noise pathways from the rear suspension and the struts have been beefed up.

Plus, there’s more sound deadening material behind the front firewall and in the wheel arch housings while the sliding doors use a double sealing process.

Other features include a chilled glovebox, “high-power” USB charging, an AC outlet for small electronic equipment, surround-view camera technology to aid parking and an electric tailgate opener.

Kia Australia PR boss Kevin Hepworth expects the Carnival to attract “minor price increases” commensurate with the uplift in technology and safety features. Currently, the VQ Grand Carnival retails between $38,990 and $56,290 (plus on-road costs).

Though near the end of its lifecycle, the previous model still managed to dominate the sub-$55K people-mover class with a 35 percent market share last year, well ahead of the Hyundai iMax (18 percent), Honda Odyssey (12.4 percent) and Toyota Tarago (11.9 percent).

However, the new Odyssey forged ahead in the first three months of 2014 with nearly 25 percent of the revised sub-$60K segment, with the ageing Kia falling below 20 percent for the first time in years.

Hide the children, Peugeot has created a sand dune-eating Dakar rally monster.

After announcing its return to the Dakar earlier this month, Peugeot this morning took the wraps off its new contender.

The badass buggy is called the 2008 DKR, but it’s really only the name, and a few styling tweaks, that the Dakar challenger shares with Pug’s road-going SUV called a 2008.

Only a handful of details have been released so far, but we know the 2008 DKR runs on 37-inch wheels, has a shed-load of power and is rear-wheel drive, not four-wheel drive.

This allows the Pug to contest Dakar’s buggy category, which is far less restrictive than the four-wheel-drive class in which the reigning Mini Countryman team competes.

It also means Peugeot can reap some other benefits, such as greater suspension travel.

Expect power and drivetrain info to be released soon, but until then we’ll just have to imagine what this beefed-up buggy will do in the South American desert next year.

Mazda will give its ageing but still tasty MX-5 a last hurrah – in its current guise – when it launches a 25th anniversary edition of the iconic sports car later this year.

To be launched tomorrow at the New York Auto Show, the birthday model will go on sale in Australia as a limited edition run of 40 cars that will be individually numbered.

Recognisable by their rich Soul Red metallic paintwork with black A-pillars, mirrors and roof highlights, the special edition will nevertheless also feature a couple of interesting mechanical upgrades.

Six-speed manual versions will be fitted with Bilstein dampers for a firmer, more controlled handling balance.

More intriguingly, Mazda says engine components such as pistons, conrods and the flywheel have been replaced with “only the lightest, best balanced parts” in what amounts to a factory balance and blueprint job.

“The result is an engine that revs even more freely, delivering extraordinary response and acceleration as well as a deeply satisfying engine note,” Mazda claims.

In US spec, it delivers 124kW – six more than our version’s 118kW, and coming 300rpm higher up the rev range at 7000rpm.

Other than that, improvements are largely cosmetic, with equipment including off-white leather seats with red stitching, a hand-painted black-on-red instrument panel, stainless-steel scuff plates and unique 17-inch rims.

The current MX-5 will be replaced next year by a new version previewed in New York with a rolling chassis.

Mazda Australia expects the limited edition model to appeal to collectors and hardcore MX-5 enthusiasts.

The occasion is the anniversary of the original NA MX-5’s launch in 1989. That car took out the Wheels Car of the Year award, as did the current NC version in 2005.

The snow may have been gently falling outside, but this year’s New York motor show opened with a bang as car makers from around the globe showed off hot new metal.

Leading the charge was Mazda with a new, lighter and faster MX-5, while Land Rover previewed an entire family of new Discovery models.

Of the local heroes, both Ford and GM drew big crowds with a special 50th anniversary Mustang and the fastest chop-top Corvette ever.

Flick through the gallery to see the reveals as they happened.

Nissan has ripped the covers off its third-generation Murano in New York, with the crossover retaining its funky styling.

Taking inspiration from the wild Resonance concept vehicle at last year’s Detroit motor show, the new Murano continues to add a dash of flair to Nissan’s line-up.

Sporting bold styling with Nissan’s now-signature ‘V-Motion’ grill and boomerang headlights, the design-focused Murano previews key elements of the company’s future look.

With a drag coefficient of 0.31, the sleeker new design sees a 16 percent improvement in aerodynamic efficiency over the outgoing model.

Underneath and inside, though, things are less radical.

Available in front and all-wheel drive, the 2015 Murano will continue to be powered by the same 3.5-litre V6 engine producing 191kW/325Nm in overseas markets.

We’ll have to wait for Australian specs.

Nissan is claiming a 20 percent improvement in fuel economy thanks mostly to the improved aero, weight reductions and tweaked CVT transmission.

Expect to see the new Murano on the road Down Under in the second half of 2015.

The “big nasty” has just got naughty, with Chevrolet ripping the top off its halo sports car – the Corvette Z06 – at the New York motor show.

It’s a car that Chevy says offers all the performance and speed of the hardtop Z06, with none of the usual convertible drawbacks.

Clever engineering (thanks to the new Vette’s aluminium underpinnings) means the drop-top Z06 weighs the same as the coupe and is 20 percent more rigid than the old C6 Z06 it replaces.

It also cops the same 6.2-litre 466kW/861Nm supercharged LT4 V8 as its hardtop sibling, the same track-honed suspension and the same 0-100km/h charge of around 3.0sec.

Transmissions are identical to the coupe, too, meaning a choice of a seven-speed manual or eight-speed automatic.

Buyers can even tick an optional Z07 track package, should the standard car not sound fast enough.

Who said convertibles are for hairdressers?

TOYOTA has unveiled a more thorough than expected midlife facelift of the current-generation Camry, its last big change before the company quits Australian manufacturing in 2017.

The facelifted Camry will go on sale in Australia in 2015.

With all-new sheetmetal bar the roof, an interior quality uplift with a big leap in tech features, wider tracks, retuned suspension and steering courtesy of Toyota Technical Center Australia’s engineers, the mid-size sedan has undergone more than 2000 changes.

The company says it has worked hard to reduce noise, vibration and harshness, with more sound-deadening, a more rigid platform and detailed improvements such as quieter exterior mirrors.

New seats, softer-touch dash materials, a redesigned console, an updated multimedia system that includes wireless mobile phone charging and the introduction of driver aid technologies such as lane-change warning, blind-spot monitoring and radar-based cruise control systems complete the Camry makeover.

However, the drivetrain components are expected to stay the same since the Australian-made 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol and petrol-electric hybrid mechanicals were all-new just two and a half years ago.

Toyota Australia PR manager Mike Breen said the exact timing and specifications for the 2015 Camry are yet to be determined.

“There is still a lot of work to do,” he told Wheels at its New York debut. “The long lead times mean we still have the challenge of maintaining interest in the existing model.”