Mercedes CLE Cabrio, a brilliant discovery of a small hybrid. Here’s how the 220d and 450 4Matic fare

TENERIFE – Elegant, comfortable, spacious and also bold. The new Mercedes CLE Cabrio, which we tested on the “moon” roads between Costa Adeje and the Teide volcano on the island of Tenerife in the Canary Islands, is a great discovery in every sense and combines the class and luxury of a Mercedes sedan. perhaps the most comfortable open drive.

The results obtained from the excellent aerodynamics and the Aircap system, which can be operated with a button, which, with the mobile deflector placed on the windshield and the rear “shield”, reduce turbulence and the entry of air into the car. lower passenger compartment, allows you to travel uncovered even at low temperatures (Mercedes technicians talk about a test carried out in Stuttgart on Christmas evening…). And the elegance is also guaranteed by the beautiful and resistant canvas on the soft top, available in three colors (black, red and gray), which opens and reduces electronically up to 60 km / h in less than 20 seconds and which has the ability to block the sound inside the elements inside. very well, it allows you to listen to music at a low volume or an interesting conversation without having to raise your voice even at high speed.

Like its Coupé “sister”, the Mercedes CLE Cabrio replaces two models, the C-Class Cabrio and the larger E-Class Cabrio, but is an entirely new car. 4.85 meters long, 1.86 meters wide and 1.42 meters long, with a wheelbase of 2.86 meters, it is a large four-seater, with an attractive design and non-hybrid engines, including six cylinders. The shape is sinuous, elegant and bold. And, as Mercedes’ Head of Exterior Design, Robert Lesnik, explained to us, it is characterized by “great clean lines, with simple and unobtrusive sides, decorated with a connecting fold that goes from the front light to the rear, immediately. retractable handles”.

The front bonnet is long and large, with a prominent grille, logo and ventilation, a whisker bumper reminiscent of a racing car wing and LED teardrop lights, while the rear has a circular line and staff with an LED strip that joins the two light pillars and covering and with two large exhaust “slots”. The trunk is 385 liters, which drops to 295 and on the good open air, CLE Cabrio has a pleasant appearance even when it is closed.

The interior is modern and elegant, characterized by attention to materials, especially in the Premium versions, with a lot of equipment, even if some plastic covers could be improved. The dashboard is dominated by a large 11.9-inch touchscreen display for the multimedia system, whose orientation can be changed with a button to prevent glare from the sun during open travel. At its base there are touch buttons to adjust the volume of the Burmester stereo system also with Dolby Atmos and to select driving modes (Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual). The three-tone steering wheel with various controls for controlling the on-board computer, phone and the Mbux interactive system is comfortable and adjustable and the dashboard with a wide 12.3 display looks clear and complete. Semi-circular air vents are very effective. The leather seats, enveloping and comfortable, also have a special coating that reflects the sun’s rays and reduces the maximum temperature by about 12 degrees compared to standard leather seats.

On the roads of Tenerife we ​​tested the diesel 220d and petrol 450 4Matic, both 48 V smooth-hybrid with an additional motor of 17 kWh (23 HP) integrated in the transmission, which helps to reduce consumption and emissions and provide more speed. when accelerating.

The 220d, powered by a 197 HP 4-cylinder 2-liter diesel engine, has excellent torque and good pick-up from low revs, which makes it flow quickly through the edges of the half-mountain path that takes us from the beach. of the coast to the slopes of Teide, a dormant volcano since 1909, and the highest peak in all of Spain with its 3,718 meters. Thanks also to the fluidity of the nine-speed automatic transmission, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in 7.9 seconds and reaches a top speed of 238 km / h: not bad for a car weighing almost two tons (1,925 kg) . Behind the wheel the feeling is positive, also because, although not exaggerated, the performance of the CLE 220d Cabrio is more than enough to have fun in the open air.

The steering is very precise and the car is smooth thanks also to the rear wheels of the steering wheel, the road holding is excellent even if comfort is preferred over stiffness even in Sport mode and the brakes are strong and safe, even if at first they seem spongy. This is definitely the car that will be sold the most in Europe and especially in Italy, because it does not have high taxes, it has an impossible starting price and consumes little (even still putting the Sport mode and pushing the accelerator it reached an average of 15 km per liter and in Eco it announces at least 20 km /l). Aesthetically, moreover, the differences from her more powerful sister are not there, but from the point of view of dynamics they certainly are.

Under the bonnet of the CLE 450 4Matic Cabrio a 3-litre six-cylinder petrol engine roars with 381 HP and 500 Nm of torque, with an additional 23 HP from the electric motor of the hybrid system. And in the ups and downs along the roads of the Teide National Park, the difference in power was happily appreciated. The CLE 450 has a wicked sprint and endless acceleration with world-class numbers: in Sport mode it accelerates from 0 to 100 km / h in just 4.7 seconds and has a top speed of 250 km / h. The steering feels direct and decisive, as do the brakes, while the road holding, including rear-wheel steering, all-wheel drive and suspension damping control, is truly top-notch. Corner entry is precise and exit acceleration is sharp but always under control thanks to the traction control systems, which are precise and non-invasive, while the ride in both fast corners and tight hairpin bends is essentially neutral. But even with this powerful version, decorated with 19 “wheels, you can go for walks easily and comfortably and with a consumption that increases but cannot be impossible compared to the 220d: pushing we got almost 9 km per liter, but on average even 12 km /l.

For both the real advantages are the comfort, even of the rear seats, great protection from the open air and soundproofing of the passenger compartment which, with the top closure, looks like a closed car. Bodywork colors are beautiful, ranging from spectral blue to alpine gray.

In addition to these two versions, there are also two other mild gasoline models, so with a 23 HP electric motor: 200 CLE Cabrio (also 4Matic), which has a 204 HP 4-cylinder 2 liter engine and acceleration. 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds (8 for 4Matic) and a top speed of 236 km/h (232 km/h); and 300 CLE 4 Matic Cabrio in which the power of the 2-liter 4-cylinder increases to 258 HP, accelerating from 0 to 100 in 6.6 seconds and a top speed of 250 km / h.

Prices for the new Mercedes CLE Cabrio start at 71,056 euros for the 220d Advanced version with 18″ wheels and reach 105,528 euros for the 450 4Matic AMG Line Premium Plus. In fact, there are six trim levels available: Advanced, AMG Line Advanced, Advanced Line. Plus , AMG Line Advanced Plus, AMG Line Premium and AMG Line Premium Plus The CLE 200 Cabrio petrol Advanced starts from 71,361 euros and the CLE 300 4Matic AMG Line Advanced from 82,524 euros.