Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet 2016 Review - International

Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet
International Launch Review
Trieste, Italy

It’s hard to believe that Mercedes-Benz has never offered a drop-top version of the incredibly popular C-Class. Better late than never. On sale in Australia from November just as summer beckons, the cabrio is a close relation of the coupe that has already launched, sharing many equipment and concept similarities. It lobs into a small yet active part of the premium new car sales market and should claim a fair slice of the sales action.

Having dramatically broadened its model range through small cars and SUVs, Mercedes-Benz’s latest expansion is somewhat more introspective – if such a thing is actually possible.

It’s the first ever C-Class Cabriolet. Yes, there has been the CLK and the current C-Class based E-Class cabrio, but never has Benz’s most popular badge previously been appended to a drop-top.

The Cabrio is the fourth and final member of the current C-Class range, which first appeared as a sedan and estate and was followed by the Coupe earlier this year.

As we have explained separately here, there are four cabrios coming to Australia in November. Two of them, the 200 and 300, are mainstream models with 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engines in different states of tune. The other two are Mercedes-AMGs; the turbocharged V6 C 43 4MATIC all-wheel drive and the stonking V8 C 63 S.

The word from Mercedes-Benz Australia is that we can look at the coupe’s equipment list as a guide to what the Cabrio fit-out will look like. On top of that you can add Cabrio specifics like the higher-spec folding acoustic cloth roof, the turbulence-reducing Aircap for all models and the neck-warming Airscarf -- which the 200 misses out on as standard. The fully powered roof opens and closes in 20 seconds (not as fast as some) at speeds up to 50km/h.

The coupe and cabrio also share AMG Line specifications, meaning things like a minimum 18-inch alloy wheels and a lower, sportier suspension set-up. But the similarities between the two four-seaters go deeper than that because they were effectively developed as a single job lot by Mercedes-Benz and its AMG hot tuner.

So engines – although note there is no turbo-diesel cabrio offered -- are the same. Forward of the A-pillar the sheetmetal and presentation of the cars is identical. The V8 AMGs share the revised rear suspension and wider rear track that the sedan and estate don’t get. Across the cabrio range the suspension tunes are slightly different to cope with the cabrio’s 120kg (approx) of extra weight. But the aim is to make them handle, ride and steer as close to identical as possible.

But all cabrios bar the V8 come with a nine-speed automatic when the 200 and 300 coupes ‘make do’ with the old seven-speed -- as does C 63 S, albeit AMG’s own Speedshift MCT-7 shifter. The C43 4MATIC Coupe – which also arrives in November – gets the nine-speed too. The rest of the coupes should upgrade by early 2018.

Of course, you can expect the cabrio to be more expensive than the coupe. We’ve had a stab at some pricing below, but it’s all educated guesswork. Expect it to be roughly in the range of the aged yet sexy Audi A5 Cabriolet and the just-updated and price-reduced BMW 4 Series Convertible. It will also intrude into the ageing E-Class Ccoupe’s territory. No need for two guesses which way most potential drop-top buyers will go once the C-cab arrives in November.

The intention of the C-Class cabrio is to offer a sporting and enjoyable drive to those buyers and, judging by our initial taste of the C 300, C 43 and C 63 S at the global launch on the Italian/Slovenian border, Merc has succeeded.

There is a proviso here. The roads were incredibly smooth so it was difficult to make a decisive call on rough-road behaviour, especially ride.

But we hit enough sharp edges to establish the 63 will scuttle shake under stress on a rough corner despite the added underbody reinforcements. Shorn of its roof it has a hell of a task coping with the wonderful 4.0-litre biturbo V8’s huge 375kW and 700Nm outputs. You also sense the weight of the car, which is now up to 1925kg, but mostly it does these tough jobs with enjoyable conviction, diving into and bursting out of corners and then devouring the next straight.

This is an outstanding rear-wheel drive experience. In the more aggressive Dynamic Select modes throttle response is quick, gearchanges slick, electro-mechanical steering weighted yet precise, brakes (ceramics on the test car) oh-so capable and the Ride Control adaptive dampers stiffer. And then there’s the sound…

It is a joy of the C 63 S to give this engine a rev with the roof down, especially in a tunnel. The sound is obscener than ever. If it took physical form it would be a heavyweight boxer in a cut-off leather jacket looking for a fight. It’s all menace, a mighty force not to be messed with.

The sound is backed up by the look. Those punched out front and rear guards and bulging bonnet make this thing look brilliantly menacing. If cabrios are hair-dressers cars, then expect Mohawks from C 63 S owners.

The C 43 4MATIC winds the experience back somewhat, but it still impresses mightily. For most of us this is all the performance car we will ever need.

The 270kW/520Nm biturbo engine is strong and deep, backed up by rear-biased all-wheel drive system that delivers handling security. On the wet mountain roads we encountered there’s no doubt the C 43 would have shown the C 63 S a clean pair of heels. In the dry? It would have been close until the straights…

And what of the C 300? A more gentle experience for sure, but still entertaining and rewarding. After all, the engine still makes 180kW and 370Nm and the rear-drive chassis is well tuned, offering the most comfort of any of these three without falling apart on a fun (smooth) road. But it’s also the car among these three you’d pick to drive on a daily commute, such is its ease of use and undoubted economy advantages.

One commonality across all three cars we noted was the intrusiveness of the left A-pillar when turning. Combined with streaming water on the windscreen it really did obscure vision. Similarly, a right-side head check (left-side in Australia of course) wasn’t aided by the thick rear roof support.

Which brings us to practicalities. What about them, you might say -- this is a cabrio for Gawd’s sake.

Rear-seat space is limited, especially for adults in terms of headroom and legroom. Luggage capacity varies from a best of 360 litres with the roof in place and 285 litres with it folded, so it’s not great. It’s also a long, thin space, so soft bags need only apply. On the plus side there is also a load-through provision and the rear seats fold down as well.

With the roof closed the C-cabrio is a remarkably refined place to travel. It’s truly quiet and Benz claims it's best in class for cabin noise. Roof down it also does well, even without Aircap which juts out from the top of the windscreen header rail like a racing car wing to reduce in-cabin turbulence.

Around the dashboard and centre console the cabrio looks pretty much like any other C-Class – except for the tab to open and close the roof. The two tubed dials sit within the hooded instrument panel, the gear selector sits on the steering column (nine on the tree!), the non-touch media screen sits iPad-like atop of the centre stack with those three round air-con vents below it. The screen is controlled by the COMAND dial and touch pad on the console. Does familiarity breed contempt? No, but with digitally-based instrument panels now becoming more common, the cabrio’s controls are now more pedestrian than pizazz.

On the flipside the quality of the interior materials is high and the front seats are very supportive.

And, of course, these things look bloody nice with the roof down. And isn’t that the point?

2016 Mercedes-Benz C 300 Cabriolet price and specs:
Price: $90,000 (estimated)
Engine: 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder
Outputs: 180kW/370Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.1L/100km
CO2: 161g/km
Safety rating: N/A

2016 Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC Cabriolet price and specs:
Price: $120,000 (estimated)
Engine: 3.0-litre turbo-petrol V6
Outputs: 270kW/520Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.4L/100km
CO2: 194g/km
Safety rating: N/A

2016 Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Cabriolet price and specs:
Price: $170,000 (estimated)
Engine: 4.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V8
Outputs: 375kW/520Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel: 9.3L/100km
CO2: 218g/km
Safety rating: N/A

Also consider:
>> Audi A5 Cabriolet (from $81,200)
>> BMW 4 Series Convertible (from $85,900)
>> Mercedes-Benz E-Class Cabriolet (from $89,900)