A cool and practical convertible that is comfortable to drive even in the Japanese summer

When I see a car with a retractable roof, phrases like "It's summer! It's a convertible!" come to mind. Such scenes have been shown on TV commercials and promotional videos of famous artists for a long time, and have been imprinted on our minds. However, that is not the reality. With the abnormal heat of the past few years, driving a car without a roof has become a test of endurance. Or rather, it even feels like it would be better to stop driving it because it feels like a risk to your life. Even if you turn up the air conditioner, the sunlight that sniffs your skin pours down mercilessly.

But was it okay back then? Actually, it wasn't. I've been using convertibles since I was young, but no matter how hard I try, the midsummer sun is just too much. At first, I was enjoying the view of the Shonan sea from Route 134, but once the traffic jam started, it was a scorching hell. I would close the electric roof and turn up the air conditioner and it would come back to life. But even so, back then, I could open the roof at night or in the morning and drive comfortably. Summer night drives are the best. It's a privilege for convertible owners. Nowadays, the air is stuffy even at night, so I can't experience that feeling of comfort.

A collection of Mercedes-Benz Cabriolet technologies

There's a reason why I'm telling you this story. Mercedes-Benz has just released a wonderful convertible car. It's the CLE Cabriolet. It's a stylish four-seater convertible model.

This model is currently the only four-seater open-top car in Mercedes' lineup. There used to be an E-Class Cabriolet and a C-Class Cabriolet, but it seems that they have been unified. There is also a two-seater with a roof that opens, but that is called a "roadster." So this is the only "cabriolet." By the way, I've written "open car" from the beginning, but this is Japanese-English, so please be careful. In America, "convertible" is the mainstream, and in Europe, "cabriolet" is the mainstream, and it is generally called "open top" or something like that.

Their only four-seater open-top car is sold in one grade. The grade name is CLE 4 Cabriolet Sport. As the name suggests, the engine is a 200-liter inline-four direct-injection turbo. However, it also has a motor attached, which is a modern trend. It is a mild hybrid model with a motor that assists with starting and acceleration. Thanks to this, it is powerful enough that you would never think it is a 2-liter car. This time, I drove on the highway between Tokyo and Yokohama, and the drive was pleasant from start to finish. At low speeds, the motor supercharges, and as the speed increases, the turbo supercharges, and the amplified power pushes the car forward. If you drove it without being told anything, you would never guess that the engine displacement was 2-liters.

Every possible ingenuity has been incorporated to ensure a comfortable ride.

Now, as for the key feature, the open top, they made it a soft top with a convertible top. Mercedes used to be a manufacturer that actively adopted metal tops, but in recent years they have adopted this type of top as if going back to their roots. They must have concluded that this type of top, which is lighter and has a simpler structure than a metal top, has more advantages. Visually, the convertible top type looks more tasteful and stylish.

It can be opened and closed with a single switch. It takes about 20 seconds to operate. Just keep pressing it until you hear a beep! The blue sky will spread above your head. What's more, you can open and close it while driving. It can be operated as long as you are traveling at a speed of 60 kilometers per hour or less. This time, the traffic started to slow down just before the Tokyo Bay Tunnel, so I quickly closed the top.

When driving with the roof open, I didn't feel much wind while driving. Usually, this type of car has wind that gets caught in the cabin and can be annoying, but this one doesn't have that problem. If you keep the left and right windows up, you don't have to worry much about the wind from the side or the wind that gets caught in from behind. I'm sure the basic design is good. It's extremely comfortable.

If you are still concerned about the wind entering the cabin, you can use the air cap. This consists of a front window deflector and a draft stop behind the rear seats, which regulates the air flow and reduces wind from being drawn in from the rear. It blocks the wind from flowing back into the cabin from the rear center, so it won't brush a lady's long hair the wrong way. This kind of consideration is typical of Mercedes. You can see that it was designed with the user in mind. It's a very user-friendly aspect.

There are many other elaborate features, such as the Air Scarf, which blows air from the neck of the seat, but what I personally want people to pay attention to is the styling. No matter how comfortable open-air motoring is, it's all for nothing if the car doesn't look good. However, this car is pretty cool. The balance between the bonnet, cabin, and rear is really well done. After all, you want an open-air car to look cool. In that sense, I would like to draw your attention to this car.

Moreover, the styling is good and it is practical. Unlike a two-seater roadster without a rear seat, you can throw your bag in the rear seat, which is good. This space is really convenient. Take off your jacket next to the car and throw it in the rear seat. If someone uses an open car like this on a daily basis, it will look very stylish.

Image courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Japan

Tatsuya Kushima

Motor journalist and columnist. Currently, he is the media site editor-in-chief and media business producer for the surfing magazine "NALU." She has previously served as editor-in-chief of many men's magazines, golf magazines, car magazines, airline in-flight magazines, etc. In addition to media activities, he is a member of the Japan Car of the Year selection committee, a member of the Japan Cigar Association, a Japan Boat of the Year selection committee, and the creative director of men's golf wear ``The Duke's Golf.''