Convertibles aren’t the most practical form of transport in a country like India, but they inspire awe and ire, albeit with a hint of bewilderment, like no other car. In India, convertibles occupy a peculiar space, offering the thrill of unfiltered motoring, which can be a boon or bane depending on your surroundings. On a crisp spring morning, the Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 cabriolet feels more like the former – enhancing the driving experience by exposing you to the elements, removing the layer of insulation that so often can sterilise the B-road bashing sojourn.
First Impression
Large, two-door sports coupés are a more endangered breed of cars than arguably any other kind. Possibly, for this reason, Mercedes-Benz decided to club the erstwhile C-Class and E-Class convertibles into one resplendent two-door coupé. India gets the AMG line as standard, but despite its chrome-studded grille and flared wheel arches, the CLE emanates luxury and grace rather than outright sportiness. It has the same wheelbase as a C-Class but it is longer in terms of both length and width. However, this added length, while offering a reasonable amount of comfort for the rear passenger, does come at the cost of boot space, most of which is taken-up by the folding roof mechanism, and a space saver tyre. The design conveys latent aggression and overt luxury – and that’s the point of this car – a cushy, comfortable grand tourer with infinite headroom.
On the Road
The CLE 300 Cabriolet doesn’t arrive with chest-thumping declarations of performance. It’s a quiet cruiser, featuring a 2.0-litre, turbo-petrol – the same unit found in the C300. Offering a relatively modest 258bhp of power, with a 48V mild-hybrid starter generator adding an additional 20 hp under hard acceleration. Acceleration feels more like an espresso shot than anything ballistic. It’s smooth and more importantly, it’s perceptible. It offers metered doses of thrill, with a constant focus on convenience. The CLE 300 Cabriolet is all about savouring the driving experience, in an age where cars are too eager to blip past their surroundings. The 9-speed automatic transmission shifts with the sort of polite efficiency you'd expect from a Swiss butler—always correct, never obtrusive.
Mash the throttle, and after some initial turbo-lag, and, with some assistance from the mild-hybrid system, there is a clean surge of power, even a muted growl, that, while not heady, does satiate one’s need-for-speed. The absence of adaptive suspension means the ride quality remains consistently supple across driving modes – perfectly in-tune with the nature of the car. “Sport” mode does allow you to hold the revs a bit longer, sharpening the throttle response and making the steering a tad heavier. But in the end, it remains a very friendly, 4Matic-assisted coupé, eager to be chucked about in corners, but also eager to maintain poise and control.
Interior
Mercedes' cabin design is a tactile love letter to both futurism and craftsmanship. Open-pore wood, turbine-inspired air vents, and a 12.3-inch MBUX display that’s straight out of the C-Class. The track pads on the steering wheel take some getting used to and are the only un-intuitive part of this otherwise fabulously appointed cabin. But the overall cabin interior from the tan leather seats to the door panelling is superb. Sound is insulated incredibly well with the top-down. At highway speeds, the Aircap wind deflector shields passengers from the hair-whipping turbulence that often plagues lesser convertibles. If there is a gripe, it’s that there’s no hydraulic lift function around speed bumps, which, given how they tend to vary in size, can occasionally create the soul-wrenching bottom-scraping sound unless driven over with surgical precision.
Verdict
It’s easy for cars like the CLE 300 to be drowned out by the cacophony of more expensive performance cars. At Rs 1.1 crore (ex-showroom) it’s a tricky proposition. It’s got no direct rival but it does have alternatives. You can get the convertible experience via cars like the sportier BMW Z4 or the MG Cyberster electric sports car in the near future, if that’s your thing. But nothing quite offers the calm, collected and luxurious cruising capabilities of the CLE 300. Sure, more frantic performance cars from the AMG line-up can be had for a lot less, or not a lot more. But that would, once again, be missing the point of the CLE 300. Yes, it’s a niche product, one that isn’t likely to sell in vast numbers. But in terms of sports coupé theatre, the CLE 300 hits all the right notes. It’s an excellent everyday car that can turn into the perfect weekend getaway ally in less than 20 seconds.
More than anything else, the CLE 300 does a lot to strengthen Mercedes-Benz India’s portfolio of cars, which is now rich enough to accommodate all manner of customers, with infinite variations of speed, comfort, practicality, agility and panache.
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