So, is India ready for the E-Cabriolet and, more importantly, is the E-Cabriolet ready for India? Let’s address the first part of the question. Driving around congested city roads in a car without a roof is definitely one of my greatest fears. Every time I overtake a bus full of passengers there is this constant fear and that element of surprise: what will land in my open-top car next? More importantly, what will disappear from my open-for-all car? Swoosh goes the Louis Vuitton and, if I remember aright, there was a Chihuahua on the back seat as well. Then the over-practical businessman might question why he should pay Rs 27 lakh over and above the average E-Class to get a car that doesn’t even have a solid roof. Why not buy another C-Class with the surplus amount?
But then, the Cabriolet is not meant for the businessman. It is a fashion statement and targeted at a very niche audience: people who savour cars. And the Mercedes engine is something that I did savour. The 3,498-cc V6 produces 275 PS and 355 Nm and is extremely refined and seems eager to be spurred into the manual mode to be revved all the way up to 6,000 rpm. However, the Cabriolet is all about style and feels best to cruise around in the automatic mode, so that you enjoy the tall gears and the almost silent engine at lower rpm. The steering is precise, albeit on the lighter side. I would have liked some more feedback from it. The car remained firm on turns and felt under control even at high speed. The ride is decent on flat roads, but the frequent bad patches filter through to the passengers mainly because of the low-profile tyres and extra rigid chassis, since it has to compensate for the open-top design. That is why even after losing the solid roof it weighs only about 30 kg more than the regular E350.
Let’s sum it up and see where we stand. It looks great with the roof down and drives like an extra smooth Swiss chocolate and has great features like AIRCAP, PARKTRONIC, ATTENTION ASSIST, Pelvis and Side airbags and a fabulous Harman Kardon Logic 7 Surround sound system, to name a few. But you cannot drive with the roof down regularly for the reasons mentioned earlier and because you just might choke to death due to the pollution. The poor fuel economy of just above five km per litre on average is not very attractive either. Moreover, not everyone would be glad to shell out 50 per cent more than the regular
E-Class.
Okay, this might not sound like the most practical of cars, but then it is not meant for ‘everybody’. It’s like caviare, which could be just over-priced fish egg to many, but an acquired taste and delicacy for the crème de la crème.
CAPTIONS
1. The silky smooth 3.5-litre V6 is a silent performer and delivers power effortlessly
2. The cabin is high-quality and expertly finished.
3.The AIRCAP system make sure that the occupants are not disturbed by wind turbulence while driving with the hood down
1. The centre gear shift seems akward on the Mercedes, as the German firm normally offers steering shifts across models
2. Sitting on the edge of the front armrest are the roof and window controls, with an exquisite leather lid.
3. The arrow shape with the rising rear design coupled with the large flared tail-lights grabs your attention
4. Harman Kardon Logic 7 Surround sound system has 12 well placed speakers that have speed-dependent volume regulation
5. The low profile tyres do injustice to the ride quality
