Mercedes has brought along the first-ever convertible C-Class to the Geneva motor show, and it’s promising to be a more practical daily driver than some of its key rivals. Based, of course, on the recently-launched C-Class Coupe, the Convertible is a four-seater, with a fabric roof that takes 20secs to open or close, and which can be raised or lowered at speeds of up to 50kmh.
The interior spec includes heat-reflecting leather seats (so you don’t burn your bum if you get in when it’s been parked in the sun) and Mercedes’ Airscarf system, which blows hot air at the back of your neck through vents in the front headrests, keeping you toasty on chillier days. There’s also the same Aircap system - an extending air deflector at the top of the windscreen - which is said to significantly calm down the airflow into the cabin when the roof is down.
On the practical front, even with the roof folded away, there is still 360-litres of boot space available - better than you get in a Ford Focus hatch and significantly better than that offered by the C-Class' most obvious rival, the BMW 4 Series cabriolet.
There is a bevy of safety systems too including autonomous emergency braking and a driver drowsiness monitor as standard, with active lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control which can also keep you in your lane on the motorway and all-round parking assistance on the options list.
The engine range consists of two diesel engines and five petrol models for now - the 170hp C220d and 205hp C250d, with the C220d’s emissions being as low as 116g/km, make up the diesel options while the petrol models will be the 156hp C180, followed by the C250, C300 and the C400 with 330hp. Four wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic gearbox are optionally available, as are 15mm lower sports suspension or, for the ultimate in comfort, Airmatic air springs.
Want the ultimate C-Class Convertible? Then for now that’s going to be the C43 AMG model - which uses a twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine 365hp. It’s the first sign of Merc’s new ‘entry-level’ AMG models, which like BMW’s M-Performance and Audi’s S models seek to plug the performance gap between conventional engines and the ultra-high output AMG models.
The power-hungry need not worry though - there will eventually be 500hp+ V8-engined C63 AMG C-Class Convertible for those who want the ultimate hair-dryer.
Mercedes-Benz's R&D boss, Dr Thomas Weber, said: "Our new C-Class Cabriolet is the entry into the world of premium cabriolets from Mercedes-Benz. Sporty and youthful in character and styling, it offers unadulterated open-air driving pleasure all year round."
