MERCEDES-BENZ C220d CABRIOLET
Diesel noises and beautiful, topless lines - does this combination work?
For today's review I could tell you all sorts of things which nobody cares about. Horsepower, airbag count; none of these boring things matter.
Perhaps they would for another type of vehicle but not the new Mercedes-benz CClass Cabriolet.
All you need to hear – because you already know it – is how achingly pretty it is.
Yours truly is not the biggest fan of Merc's new design language: blunt and aggressive faces with high-brow rear ends.
Coated in deep metallic blue with multispoke AMG alloys and just enough bling, this C220d press car quickly changed my opinion. What a stunner.
Inside, it's the same story. Sumptuous leather, silver highlights and piano-lacquer plastics adorn a modern cabin with stateof- the- art infotainment and plenty of creature comforts – like seatbelt butlers.
Rear legroom is ok for small adults on longer trips (or vice versa) and the pair of front chairs can be heated in three stages with an optional neck scarve. This chairmounted device gently blows a stream of warm air at your neck if you should decide to drop the sturdy fabric roof on a cold winter’s night. The well-insulated top folds away in mere seconds and can be operated while driving at slow speeds. There's also a button which controls all four side windows. Do take notes, other drop-top manufacturers, for those are perfect cabrio credentials.
Another knoppie raises the rear wind deflector and an air flap in the windscreen frame for even more topless comfort.
Any convertible haters tell of leaky roofs, floppy handling and tiny boots – the new CClass Cab begs to differ.
This car's fat tyres were louder than any wind noise at speed, the ride felt almost as tight as in a sedan and the boot offered reasaonble cargo space; the rear seats even more. So were there any negatives?
Well, I dreaded the first press of that silver start button because of the agricultural propulsion – but this turbo-diesel didn't sound as coarse as expected.
It still seemed a bit odd in a sleek drop-top but I would equate it to Cindy Crawford's mole or David Beckham's voice. You still would.
The ride wasn't always smooth over rough ground – completely normal for today's cars with their low-profile tyres.
This C220d also had a drive mode selector with TWO Sport modes, both of which made it sound and handle worse. I ignored them and simply enjoyed the car's leisurely cruising abilities.
Its nine automatic gears slot in perfectly to any speed you choose although there isn't much outright power – 125kw or 400Nm, for those who care.
A cruising MercedesBenz C220d Cabrio is always doing 1,400rpm ( yes, even at 120km/h) and its engine happily picks up the pace from those revolutions. It’s a proper modern torque monster.
The manufacturer lays claim to a 0-100km/h sprint time of just over eight seconds and a top speed of 200-something, none of which really matters.
More important is the fact that the C220d claims 5L/100km and we easily got six or seven. Thanks to its 66L tank, we were comfortably headed for 1,000km range during our week of testing so this beauty can even stretch a tankfull of Nam Dollars quite nicely...
This Cabriolet’s price of about N$800,000 (depending on the spec) includes a six-year unlimited mileage warranty and six-year 100,000km service plan but you probably don't care about that either.
You just want it for the looks but happily, the C220d Cabriolet can do a lot more than look pretty.
“I’d equate it to Cindy Crawford's mole or David Beckham's voice. You still would.”