Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet

The Mercedes-Benz CLE is the only good-looking luxury coupe you can find at your nearest Mercedes dealership, which is ideal if you don't like the looks of today's BMW 4-Series. Those who want an open-top experience should go for the new Cabriolet version of the CLE.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet

With prices starting at 66,402 Euros plus additional costs, the first-ever Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet is the only non-AMG two-door convertible you can find at a Mercedes-Benz dealership near you and while it is not interested in your "speedo boy" games, the CLE Cabriolet is the ideal weekend getaway car for you to unwind after a long week.

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet interior

For a quick recap on the exterior, the CLE's front came from the W206 C-Class while the rear view came from the Mercedes EQ saloon family and the silhouette looks broadly like the now-defunct C-Class Coupe. Asked about the dimensions, the CLE is sized between the two now-defunct coupes. For the Cabriolet version, the foldable soft-top roof can be opened and closed at the touch of a button even at slow speeds.

As for the interior, it's all typical "new normal" Mercedes dashboard you can expect in the CLE because it comes with a 12.3-inch digital display and a portrait-oriented 11.9-inch central display as well as ambient lighting features with indirect lighting strips, an available Ambient Lighting Plus package, a new Easy-Entry function to gain access to the rather cramped rear seats, the latest MBUX, and a choice of three sound system configurations at launch, including the Burmester 3D surround sound system. 

Asked about the boot space, the CLE Coupe can carry up to 385L of goodies at the back, less than its hardtop equivalent but more than the now-defunct E-Class Cabriolet.

In addition to the four-cylinder 2.0L petrol engine (CLE 200 and CLE 300) and a 2.0L four-cylinder turbodiesel engine (CLE 220d), the CLE 450 AMG Line 4MATIC variant comes exclusive with the 3.0L turbocharged inline-six petrol engine with MHEV tech which produces 404PS of power and 500Nm of torque. Mated to a 9-speed automatic, it does 0-100kph in 4.7 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250. This setup is also available in the coupe version as well.

Although it shows little interest in the fun side because this is a normal Mercedes convertible, the dynamics made it feel like a grand tourer that values comfort over performance, which is unheard of in a two-door Mercedes like this. Coupled with the DYNAMIC BODY CONTROL, DYNAMIC SELECT, and a sports brake system, drivers can enjoy it in various ways and means in a rather dramatic way.

Like the Coupe, the CLE Cabriolet comes with the available Parking Package with a 360° camera, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Brake Assist, DISTRONIC Active Distance Assistant, and the available Driving Assistance Package Plus. Such features made drivers difficult to explain why lodged in a coupe like this.

Just like its hardtop equivalent, it is a modest two-door luxury convertible that prefers to be taken lightly, not hardly. Story of its life.

Available colors: graphitgrau magno, opalithweiß bright, patagonienrot metallic, alpingrau uni, obsidianschwarz, graphitgrau, Metalliclack hightechsilber, Metalliclack spektralblau, schwarz, and Unilack polarweiß.

Photo: Mercedes-Benz AG