Written by Adam Binnie Published: 19 April 2024 Updated: 19 April 2024

Overview

Big, luxurious drop-tops are something of a Mercedes-Benz staple – so much so that it previously produced them in all shapes and sizes, to a near-baffling degree. The CLE Cabriolet (like the CLE Coupe) is an attempt to consolidate similar offerings, namely the C- and E-Class convertibles, into one car that is greater than the sum of those parts.

Top down thrills for four passengers remains the selling point, with a boot big enough for more than a weekend away. It’s actually larger overall than the E-Class Cabriolet and features the more youthful and high-tech interior of the C-Class, so on paper at least it looks like the best of both worlds.

A more-than-subtle nod at improved aerodynamic efficiency hints at the high levels of refinement offered by the CLE Cabriolet – this is wind-in-your-hair motoring with a surprising lack of, well, wind in your hair. It was designed to be used with the roof down as much as possible, and we’ll go into how and why it accomplishes this later in the review.

Rivals are falling by the wayside these days with no Audi A5 Cabriolet to compare this car to anymore. That means we can afford to look a bit further afield from the BMW 4 Series Convertible – from the Ford Mustang Convertible, to the vastly more expensive Maserati Grancabrio.

12

What’s it like inside?

Instantly recognisable from the C-Class, the tech-laden dashboard is a mixture of traditional curves and next-gen tech. Trim panels are available in wood or carbonfibre depending on spec, with leather on the dash top, all highlighted by colour-customisable LED lighting accents.

There’s quite a lot going on here, to put it one way, and it’s likely that you’ll either love it or not. One thing’s for sure though, if you want to catch the attention of passers-by when the roof is lowered, the CLE will not disappoint.

You get two large screens – a 12.3-inch driver’s display, accessed by two rows of touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel, and a portrait-oriented 11.9-inch central touchscreen. This can be tilted electronically from 15 to 40 degrees to combat glare with the roof down. It’s no gimmick – we found it worked surprisingly well.

Most of the car’s auxiliary functions (air-con, sat-nav, media, etc) are accessed via the bright and responsive central screen, and the main menu contains large, easy to jab buttons. It took a bit of time to acclimatise to this set up the car park, but it works well on the move.

12

The system now allows third-party apps including TikTok, and even has a “date night” function that plays romantic music and turns the interior lighting pink. It’s targeting a younger audience than the old E-Class, that’s for sure.

Perhaps more usefully (or maybe not in the UK) is a special leather coating that reflects the sun’s rays so the seats don’t get so hot in direct sunlight. Even left out in the midday heat, our test car’s black seats remained remarkably cool.

The front chairs themselves are sporty and supportive, look very attractive, and feature useful heating and cooling functions. The ever-impressive Air Scarf feature, which blows hot air around your shoulders on cold days also makes an appearance here, while a massaging function adds another layer of luxury. We drove for several hours straight in the CLE Cabriolet, and although the seats felt a bit hard at first, they provided a high level of all-day comfort.

Overall it’s plusher in the front, but that’s to be expected. The back seats aren’t as well cushioned and feel quite upright in comparison, but there’s loads of shoulder room between the passengers, and a useful amount of leg room even behind a tall driver. That said, if you have the roof up and are over six feet tall, your head will be in contact with the fabric.

12

Interior storage space is reasonable with a multifunction centre console housing two differently sized cupholders (not the case in the Coupe, strangely), two USB-C outlets and a capacitive charger. There are two more outlets in the large underarm cubby. Rear passengers get a pair of cupholders and magazine storage in the front seat backs.

A powered divider drops down automatically when the roof is lowered, shrinking the available bootspace from 385 to 295 litres, and protecting your stuff from being crushed. The rear seats also fold with a 60:40 split, enabling longer or bulkier items to be carried.

Mercedes-Benz CLE engines

There’s a very traditional choice of petrol and diesel engines to choose from – mostly comprising 2.0-litre, four-cylinder units, in the CLE 200, 220d and 300. There’s also a range-topping 3.0-litre, in-line six-cylinder petrol engine in the CLE 450 4MATIC.

While you can’t have a plug-in hybrid or electric CLE Cabriolet, all the engines are mild hybrids, with an integrated starter-generator and 48-volt on-board electrical system. The enables fuel-saving cleverness like the ability to coast with the engine off when coming to a stop.

More excitingly it can also provide a power and torque boost of 23hp and 205Nm when you press the accelerator really hard. Either way, all cars a nine-speed automatic gearbox, and the CLE 300 and 450 come with all-wheel drive as standard.

12

What it’s like to drive?

The CLE 200 and 220d offer identical performance with a 7.9 second 0-62mph time – a numbers that suits the cabrio’s more laid-back cruiser nature. It’s also very unusual to see a diesel engine in this type of car these days, and although it may appeal to some, it’s likely to be a niche choice in the UK.

For more brisk acceleration pick the CLE 300 4Matic, which takes 6.6 seconds to go from 0-62mph. It’s still not what you’d call fast but that would be missing the point – it’s the enhanced in-gear pull that makes this model more appealing, rather than the way it launches off the line.

This engine enables smooth and quiet progress, with only a slight flat spot at low revs, which is well-managed by the automatic gearbox. You can improve the engine response further by selecting Sport mode or using the steering wheel mounted paddles.

The CLE 450 with its six-cylinder engine promises enhanced performance and character, and it ticks both boxes – to an extent. At low revs the exhaust note is pleasingly raspy, but this doesn’t develop into a soaring, evocative soundtrack as the engine speed increases, like six-cylinder motors of old.

What it does do exceptionally well is pull harder in higher gears, the extra engine capacity meaning this is by far the most flexible engine in the range, reflected by its 4.7-second 0-62mph time. This makes it simultaneously more relaxing and rewarding to drive quickly.

12

There’s a point to be made here though – while the CLE Cabriolet is capable of being hustled, it does so in a very safe and stable manner that enables rather than encourages. In general terms, a cabriolet is all about enjoying the journey rather than rushing around, so we think Mercedes-Benz has pitched this perfectly.

In the UK all cars come with 15mm lowered sports suspension that promises high comfort on long journeys and driver enjoyment on shorter ones. On smooth Spanish roads it felt great, but we’ll need to test it thoroughly on home soil, especially as adaptive damping is not available to us on the CLE Cabriolet.

We noticed a bit of shakiness in the cabin and through the steering column in response to hitting a speed bump, but given the size of the CLE Cabriolet, that’s not a huge surprise.

What models and trims are available?

In the UK the range starts with the already well-equipped AMG Line, bringing with it some nice upgrades like the Airscarf and Aircap, an electric luggage compartment separation, plus keyless entry and start.

Moving up through AMG Line Premium, AMG Line Premium Plus and Premier Edition specifications unlocks all sorts of upgrades including digital LED headlights, larger wheels and a Burmester surround sound stereo.

There are four standard interior leather colours and two Nappa options on the top of the range Premier Edition. You can choose from three colours for the roof, and a range of muted and bright paint options too. It’s easy to find the look you want, is what we’re saying.

Prices start from £53,030, orders are open now, and deliveries are expected in the autumn of 2024.

12

What else should I know?

The roof raises and lowers in 20 seconds at vehicle speeds of up to 37mph. For the first time the mechanism uses electric power only (instead of hydraulics) and as such it’s almost completely silent. This is more of an upgrade than it might seem on paper, because the CLE Cabriolet is such a quiet car in general, and that peace would be easily punctured by a whirring soft-top roof clunking into action.

Significant refinements have also been made to the clever Aircap feature, which consists of a special spoiler at the top of the windscreen, and a large diffuser that pops up from the rear seats. For a start, the latter is much easier and convenient to use than the traditional fold out-type that you have to manually erect while the car is stationary.

Secondly, the windscreen element redirects the flow of air over the top of the open roof (and the passenger’s heads below) to reduce the turbulence felt in their hair, and help retain heat in the cabin during colder months. We found it marginally increased the wind noise heard at the top of the screen, but reduced bluster felt inside the car quite impressively.

So, does that make the CLE Convertible a winner? Read on to find out…