SUN in the sky, mercury nudging up the thermometer, rain and snow a distant bad memory... yes, it’s the cabriolet season.

How we Brits love our open-top motoring, more so than almost any other country you care to name. Classics, two-seater sporty jobs, city cars and great big bulging cruisers all add to the mix of convertible driving.

Enjoying its first full summer in the UK, the Mercedes E250 CGI BlueEfficiency Sport Cabriolet is a striking addition to the open-top scene.

Riding on 18-inch AMG alloys with daytime running lights, front and rear apron and side skits and an over-sized three-pointed star planted in the middle of the grille, it is both elegant and imposing.

What’s more it slots into the gap between cruiser and sports car, offering four seats but performance figures that would not shame an out-and-out two-seater roadster.

With a 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds, top speed of 155mph and gear shift paddles to complement the five-speed automatic gearbox, it is capable of provide a gentle, cushioned ride and also thrusting performance, particularly when the Sport mode is selected to alter the throttle response and quicken the gear shifts.

The cabin has several nice touches that come as standard, including ambient lighting, Bluetooth interface, automatic climate control, one-touch opening and closing for the electric windows.

Always a leader in technology and innovations, Mercedes has not been resting on its laurels with the new E-Class Cabriolet.

The big development comes in the shape of the new AirCap system. A simple idea neatly executed, the AirCap extends from the top of the window frame and acts as a frontal defector, sending the airflow arcing over the top of the car and reducing the degree of buffeting at speed. This is paired with the AirScarf system for the front two seats that provides a gentle flow of neck-warming air to extend the open-top season well into winter.

Using the same two-door, four-seat layout as the E-Class Coupé, the new Cabriolet features a canvas roof. It’s a very discreet piece of canvas however, with the vehicle’s rising belt line requiring only a small piece of fabric to cover the occupants.

The Cabriolet manages to retain the same enormous glass house as the Coupé, an impressive feat that aids visibility and gives the cabin an airy feel.

Stowing in less than 20 seconds, the roof takes a chunk out of the reasonably accommodating boot space but leaves a delicious profile in its absence. On the way back up it pours into to place in an eerily hushed manner, with the exception of a reassuring clunk as it hooks into the windscreen frame. Mercedes claims the canvas roof offers the same rollover resistance as the fixed-head coupé, an impressive feat.

A range of three diesel and four petrol engines is available on the new model, all boasting the BlueEfficiency badge with the exception of the range-topping E500 V8.

The 1.8-litre 204bhp unit in the E250 CGI seems particularly well suited to the E-Class Cabriolet. Naturally more refined than the impressive diesel units, its performance doesn’t fall far short of the E350, although the five-speed automatic transmission falls short of the seven-speed transmission found in the bigger-engined model that is a key component in the model’s driveability.

However, it is rarely caught wanting. Slick changes come quickly when low-speed cruising, and selecting the sport option allows the gears to be held for longer, wringing out the power from the top of the rev range.

It is reactive enough to negate the need to use the paddle shifters and the model’s responsive chassis can be enjoyed using the fully auto setting.

The light canvas roof and chunky, high-shouldered body means the E-Class Cabriolet feels solid roof up or down, with scuttle shake virtually eradicated and an ability to ride bumps that’s within touching distance of the E-Class saloon.

The spacious cabin, the impressive level of interior refinement and high quality materials mean it can be enjoyed by four occupants. A genuine four-seater, the rear can comfortably accept two adults, with large doors and automatic sliding seats making it easy to access.

With its high-end specification and clever innovations the E-Class Cabriolet is not a simple car, but adhering to a list of simple qualities such as refinement, good looks and spaciousness makes the E250 CGI Cabriolet simply excellent.


Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet fact file

Model: E 250 CGI BlueEfficiency Sport.

Price: From £38,110.

Engine: 1.8-litre petrol, producing 204bhp.

Transmission: Five-speed automatic.

Performance: 0 to 62 mph in 7.8 seconds; top speed 155mph.

Economy: 35.8mpg combined.

CO2 Rating: 190g/km.