SINGAPORE – To begin with, cabriolets aren’t for wall-flowers so nothing quite beats having it in our test-car’s lurid shade of Red – our younger colleague did confess to feeling like a ‘toy-boy’ when he had the car, at least that was the impression he had judging by the glances other road-users cast his way.

The facelifted styling gives new lease of life to the E-Class family and the vampy colour adds a new level of salaciousness to Merc’s mid-size drop-top affair. Like the rest of the family, the ‘200’ and ‘250’ designations are animated by the same turbocharged 2.0-litre four-pot gasoline engine, albeit in different states of tune. In this application, the E 250 Cabriolet develops 211bhp and 350Nm compared to the E 200’s 184bhp and 300Nm, so as far as we’re concerned, there’s sufficient low to mid-range grunt when the urge descends to put on a little more speed.

However, the pose-worthy nature of the cabriolet, especially one with an elegant ragtop like the E-Class means most owners will be content with cruising the boulevards and shopping strip, since roof-up or down, the E 250 Cabriolet is certainly a car to look at. The new range of engines aren’t just clean (the E 200 and E 250 Cabriolets qualify for a $5k CEVS rebate), there’s decent poke too, especially from a standstill. However, despite its slightly ‘sporty’ note, it’s still discernibly a four-pot – fine for more utilitarian purposes like the sedan or estate, but are they a good fit for cars as ‘aspirational’ as the Coupe and Cabriolet?

Although we can’t imagine many owners using the rear-seats, since this is a strict driver plus one type car, the Cabriolet acquits itself admirably well as far as carrying a full complement of four occupants is concerned – great for club-hopping, we bet. With the brand reverting to the column-shifter, the centre console is free for additional stowage, while a cover rather elegantly conceals the roof controls from view until required.

Like the rest of the refreshed E-Class family, the E Cabrio boasts a host of technological safety features to guarantee that looking cool doesn’t need to come at the expense of safety – ‘Collision Prevention Assist’ and ‘Attention Assist’ are just two on offer.

Looking good and fuss-free motoring are the some of the E 250 Cabriolet’s strengths, especially since one can effectively hop in and get going without fussing with complex driving programmes or electronics. The press-and-go nature means the owner doesn’t have to try very hard to stay ahead of the other cars when moving off from the traffic light, while the steering wheel mounted shifters should provide fashionistas with some modicum of involvement.

NEED TO KNOW
Engine 1,991cc, 16v, in-line 4
Power 211bhp at 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm at 1,200 – 4,000rpm
Gearbox 7-speed automatic
Top Speed 245km/h
0-100km/h 7.5 seconds 
Fuel efficiency 6.8L/100km
CO2 158g/km
Price $295,888 with COE
Availability Now

Also Consider: Audi A5 2.0 T Cabriolet, BMW 325i Convertible

Photos by Gerald Yuen