FIRSTDRIVE MERCEDES E-CLASS COUPE CABRIOLET:FOR ALL the modern gadgets and gizmos on offer these days, it was the sight of a simple folding cloth roof that brought a smile to our face at the Mercedes launch, writes MICHAEL MCALEERMotoring Editor
Such a basic bit of technology from a company whose lineage can be traced to the founding father of the modern automobile, might suggest Mercedes is not moving with the times.
Complete tosh: given its chequered history in the last decade of applying some new gizmos that caused more trouble than they were worth, it’s nice to see the three-pointed star is now more selective about which new trends to follow and which to ignore.
After several years of supposed engineering innovation and improvement we can officially confirm folding metal roofs are a flop. The engineering brains behind the auto origami deserve credit. But the price paid in terms of storing that folded mass in an extended rump, along with the extra weight from motors to perform the magic, turns even the sportiest convertible into a metal sloth.
So hats off to Mercedes for ignoring the peer pressure and sticking to the winning formula of folded cloth for its new E-Class coupe cabrio. With the roof up, there’s little difference inside the cabin as the lining is more padded than a luxury mattress. Push the button and 20 seconds later it’s retracted and stowed away in the boot, leaving nothing but clean metal. The great news is it has no impact on the smart lines of the E-Class coupe, except for a missing roof.
Mercedes’s history is littered with great metal and engineering firsts. At the launch of this car, we had the chance to take a 1991 300CE convertible for a 40km spin. It reminded us just how far the modern cars have come – and how advanced they were 20 years ago. This car was fitted with heated seats, ABS, airbags. The folding cloth roof was electrically powered. It’s amazing how these things still wow buyers.
But back to the new Mercedes E Class coupe convertible. It has decent legroom in the back but the bootspace is pretty tight. An official figure of 300 litres (390 litres if you keep the roof up and fold back its stowage box) belies a tight aperture and prominent wheel arches that make the space awkwardly distributed for suitcases.
You might get one small set of golf clubs in there but you’re Big Bertha driver would have to lie across the back seat. The new model is the same size as its predecessors but with significantly less space: modern safety technology requires far more in the way of crumple zones and crash protection than the older cars.
On the open road and with the roof down, the big-selling 2.2-litre diesel was a confident cruiser in the car, but those seeking more acceleration should consider the larger E250 CDI.
The rest of the car – interior trim and the like – is exactly like the recent E-Class coupe and the car’s silhouette also reflects its lines, a great bonus for the coupe, which is a great looking car.
On previous convertibles Mercedes introduced the air-scarf system, an air-conditioning feature that blows hot air around the driver from vents located near the top of the front seats. It’s an ingenious idea that has since been copied by its rivals, though renamed to avoid having to acknowledge its origins. This time Mercedes has added another new feature to comfort the occupants when the roof’s down.
The air-cap is meant to redirect the airflow away from the top of the occupants’ heads, leaving expensive comb-overs and the like untouched by the air turbulence over the car. The idea is great in principle, though the application may take another tweak. During our tests it never quite deflected all the air and in the backseat there was still plenty of turbulence, while the metal strip that deflects the air created an annoying whistling noise. We’d save the €1,500 and give the aircap a miss, but the €900 airscarf is a well worth the outlay.
Aside from some wind in your hair, there were some flapping sounds in the back seats during strong crosswinds. It was probably down to the rear seatbelts fluttering in the wind but it was annoying.
With the 2.2-litre diesel coming in at €52,275, it will pit itself against similarly priced rivals such as the Audi A5 cabriolet and Lexus IS250C, though the latter is sold with a 2.5-litre petrol powertrain only.
The E-Class coupe has turned a lot of heads this year and if the sun ever comes out this summer, those prices should tempt a few to choose a soft-top option.
Factfile
E-Class coupe cabriolet
Engines:Three petrol – 220CDI: 2143cc, 170bhp, 0-100km/h in 8.8 secs, 6.2L/100km, 143g/km; 250CDI: 2143cc, 204bhp, 0-100km/h in 7.8 secs, 6.2L/100km, 148g/km; 350CDI: 2987cc, 231bhp, 0-100km/h in 6.9 secs, 6.9L/100km, 185g/km; and three diesel– 200CGI: 1796cc, 184bhp, 0-100km/h in 8.8 secs, 7.4L/100km, 172g/km;250CGI: 1796cc, 204bhp, 0-100km/h in 7.8 secs, 7.9L/100km, 185g/km; 350CGI: 3498cc, 292bhp, 0-100km/h in 6.8 secs, 8.8L/100km, 206g/km
Prices:starting at €52,275 for the E220CDI version
Arriving:Next month