Mercedes-Benz E 400 Cabriolet review, test drive

What is it?

The E 400 Cabriolet marks the return of a big, two-door, four-seat convertible to Mercedes-Benz India’s line-up. It’s not an all-new car but a model that, like the rest of the E-class range, received a significant update in 2013.

That link to the more common E sedan is hard to miss because the Cabriolet too has ditched the older car’s quad lamp set-up for a dual headlight arrangement. The sporty single-slat grille and curvier front bumper are new too. Changes at the rear include new tail-lamps with LED detailing and a revised bumper that now keeps the dual exhausts out of view. Thanks to the revisions, the smartly-proportioned E Cabriolet does look fresher while retaining all that made the earlier car such a pleasing sight, elements such as the classic pontoons at the rear. The contrasting shade for the fabric roof (still no folding metal roof here) adds its share of flair but, then again, the Cabriolet does look its best with the roof tucked into the boot. Lowering the roof takes about 20 seconds and can be done at speeds of up to 40kph.

Be it with the roof up or down, the E 400’s cabin makes for a nice place to be in. It’s a pleasing blend of colours and comes finished in rich materials. The dash itself isn’t particularly unique in design but the exposed double stitching does make it appear special enough. New to the E Cabriolet is Merc’s COMAND Online infotainment system that uses a synced phone’s data network to connect to the internet. You can use the system to stream internet radio on the go or browse websites and check news and social networking sites at long halts. It’s quite a handy system but feeding inputs via the rotary dial can take infuriatingly long.

Thankfully, the controls for the front seats' adjust are far more straightforward and let you fine-tune bolstering, lumbar support and thigh support to your liking. Access to the rear seats is also quite nice by cabriolet standards and space isn’t all that bad. Sure, full size adults won’t be happy in the back for all that long, but the seats are still useable for the occasional Sunday cruise about town.