Sturdy top
Mercedes-Benz has not succumbed to the trend it launched, choosing to maintain the use of the soft top rather than a hard retractable one. Not only does it not ruin the car’s profile, it doesn’t modify the best-in-class Cd of 0.28 either. Twenty-three millimetres thick, it filters out all noise and gives the distinct impression that you’re cruising around in roof-covered coupe. At the first hint of sunlight, 20 seconds are all you need to drop that top while maintaining a speed of 40 km/h. Highly insulated, the car has no trouble tackling all four seasons. The other advantage of the soft top is the fact that it doesn’t amputate trunk space. In the case of the Cabrio the numbers are impressive: with the top up, the trunk offers 390 litres of space, and with the top down it only gives up 90 litres for an impressive total volume of 300 litres.
If you’re worried about how safe a soft top actually is, well, know that Mercedes did their homework. During the rollover tests, the Cabrio achieved the same safety score as the Coupe. The A pillar is obviously reinforced and the roll bars are automatically deployed if the car is in imminent danger of overturning. What’s more, the seven air bags will absorb any impact in case of misfortune.
From A to Z with a stop at E
The atmosphere inside has reached the highest peaks of luxury. It’s all about luxury, luxury, luxury – and lots of comfort. Identical to the coupe but different from the sedan, its dash presents the same rigid lines typical of Mercedes-Benz models. The only fly in the ointment, which really isn’t one, is the absence of a reverse camera. However, the sensors surrounding the car get the job done.
Obviously, all of Mercedes-Benz’ latest and greatest do-dads are on board, from simplified navigation to the PreSafe accident prevention system, from the Attention Assist drowsiness detector to cruise control. It’s all there.
The seats go above and beyond in terms of comfort, offering excellent support even during aggressive manoeuvres. The steering wheel offers a good grip and is a joy to handle.
Mercedes-Benz has not succumbed to the trend it launched, choosing to maintain the use of the soft top rather than a hard retractable one. Not only does it not ruin the car’s profile, it doesn’t modify the best-in-class Cd of 0.28 either. Twenty-three millimetres thick, it filters out all noise and gives the distinct impression that you’re cruising around in roof-covered coupe. At the first hint of sunlight, 20 seconds are all you need to drop that top while maintaining a speed of 40 km/h. Highly insulated, the car has no trouble tackling all four seasons. The other advantage of the soft top is the fact that it doesn’t amputate trunk space. In the case of the Cabrio the numbers are impressive: with the top up, the trunk offers 390 litres of space, and with the top down it only gives up 90 litres for an impressive total volume of 300 litres.
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| The atmosphere inside has reached the highest peaks of luxury. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz) |
If you’re worried about how safe a soft top actually is, well, know that Mercedes did their homework. During the rollover tests, the Cabrio achieved the same safety score as the Coupe. The A pillar is obviously reinforced and the roll bars are automatically deployed if the car is in imminent danger of overturning. What’s more, the seven air bags will absorb any impact in case of misfortune.
From A to Z with a stop at E
The atmosphere inside has reached the highest peaks of luxury. It’s all about luxury, luxury, luxury – and lots of comfort. Identical to the coupe but different from the sedan, its dash presents the same rigid lines typical of Mercedes-Benz models. The only fly in the ointment, which really isn’t one, is the absence of a reverse camera. However, the sensors surrounding the car get the job done.
Obviously, all of Mercedes-Benz’ latest and greatest do-dads are on board, from simplified navigation to the PreSafe accident prevention system, from the Attention Assist drowsiness detector to cruise control. It’s all there.
The seats go above and beyond in terms of comfort, offering excellent support even during aggressive manoeuvres. The steering wheel offers a good grip and is a joy to handle.
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| True to tradition, a V6 (E350) and V8 (E550) are both on offer. (Photo: Mercedes-Benz) |