Mercedes commences new E-Class Cabriolet production

With the introduction of the new E-Class Cabriolet, Mercedes’ international range now includes a total of six convertibles.

Series production of the new E-Class Cabriolet has started at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Bremen, Germany. Revealed back in March 2017, the convertible version of Mercedes’ strong-selling executive luxury saloon slots in between the C-Class cabriolet and the S-Class cabriolet. This is the first E-Class convertible to be based off the E-Class saloon, the previous generations of the car were based off the C-Class.

The Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet is a four-seater drop-top version of the E-Class Coupe, with an electrically operated fabric roof which can be had with a choice of four colours – brown, blue, red and black. The soft-top roof of the car is sourced from Austrian supplier Magna, and can be closed in just 20 seconds while the car is moving at speeds of up to 50km/h.

The interior of the E-Class Cabriolet, just like its coupe sibling, is sourced from the saloon but houses a few bespoke niceties like turbine style air vents, open pore wood trims and the uber-cool automatic feeder arms for the seat belts.

The E-Class Cabriolet is powered by a trio of petrol engines, and a single diesel engine which is exclusive to European markets. All engines come mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox, which feeds power to the rear wheels in all but the most powerful petrol trim. The E400 4Matic – the flagship petrol trim comes with Mercedes’ all-wheel-drive system as standard with a 45-55 front-rear split. There is no speed-frenzy AMG petrol version on offer yet.

Commenting on the production commencement, Markus Schäfer, Member of the Divisional Board of Mercedes-Benz Cars, said, “The new E-Class Cabriolet with its wide variety of equipment choices is an outstanding example of the high level of variance that we implement today in our plants. Maximum flexibility is a central success factor in the production strategy of Mercedes-Benz Cars. With its strong team and start-up experience over recent years, the Bremen plant sets standards in the global production network.”

The previous generation E-Class cabriolet was offered in India only with a V6 petrol engine. The latest generation of the car is expected to eventually launch in India, however, the engine options being mulled for India are not known as yet. Being a CBU, expect the Mercedes E-Class Cabriolet to cost upwards of Rs. 80 lakh in the country.