AUTOMOTIVE

2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 4MATIC Cabriolet

Engine: 3.0-liter, 329-horsepower Biturbo V6 Transmission: 9-speed automatic 4MATIC all-wheel drive Wheelbase: 113.1 inches Curb weight: 4,189 pounds Base price: $68,800 As driven: $81,180 MPG rating: 20 in the city, 25 on the highway

The Mercedes-Benz E400 4MATIC Cabriolet.

Coddles passengers in a bubble of warm air.

IMPORTANT SAFETY FEATURES

• Attention Assist learns a driver’s habits and then sends an alert if it detects the driver is getting drowsy or not paying attention. • Collision Prevention Assist Plus sends an audible warning if it senses the driver is closing on a vehicle too quickly. At speeds up to 31 mph, the vehicle will apply the brakes to avoid a stationary object. • Pre-Safe tightens seatbelts, closes windows, and closes the sunroof if it senses a collision is imminent. • Brake Assist applies maximum braking force in an emergency. • A blind-spot monitor. • Electronic vehicle stability assist with crosswind stabilization.

Sitting in the 2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 4MATIC Cabriolet with the top tucked under the rear deck brought to mind the elegant roadsters from the early 1900s that were called skiffs. Skiffs were roadsters designed with a boat theme, and some of the most beautiful had wooden bodies made by Jean-Henri Labourdette in France.

When seen from above, the E400’s styling is elegantly simple. There’s a certain boat-like look to the way the four-seat interior is integrated into the overall design. That was reinforced by the white test car’s light-beige leather, natural Elm wood, and Yacht Blue leather accents. While a lightcolor interior might be hard to keep clean, it certainly looks sumptuous.

The E-Class Cabriolet was totally redesigned in 2017. In a press release, Britta Seeger, head of Mercedes-Benz marketing and sales, said, “It is a car that lets people enjoy comfort and luxury in the open air.” This is the first time the Cabriolet, powered by a 3.0-liter, Biturbo V-6 with 329 horsepower and a nine-speed automatic transmission, is available with 4MATIC full-time all-wheel drive. That’s great news for those who want driving security regardless of weather.

The V-6 delivers its power across a broad rpm range and that gives the car responsive acceleration. It is capable of reaching 60 miles per hour in 5.3 seconds and has a top speed of 130 mph. The nine-speed automatic transmission enhances acceleration and fuel economy because it has a gear for nearly every situation.

In terms of appearance, the E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet share a basic style, with clean lines and muscular proportions. They even share a similar profile when the convertible’s soft top is up. The top is available in brown, dark blue, red, and black.

Retracting the top is simple and quick. Touch the lever on the console and the top slides back and down under the rear deck in 20 seconds, making it easy to enjoy open-air driving on a moment’s notice. It works at speeds up to 30 miles per hour. Reversing the process is just as quick if you don’t want to leave the top down while parked.

The top, derived from that of the S-Class Cabriolet, is a multi-layered structure with insulation that reduces wind and driving noise. I found that conversation is easy even at highway speeds.

If you’re thinking that spring might be a tad cool for top-down driving, consider this: AIRCAP is a clever system that uses a wind deflector atop the windshield header and a wind blocker behind the rear seats to reduce turbulence in the passenger compartment. It is activated with the touch of a button. In addition, neck-level heating called AIRSCARF gently circulates warm air through vents at the base of the headrests. With both AIRCAP and AIRSCARF engaged, occupants can glide along in a warm bubble of relatively still air while still enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells that make open-air motoring alluring.

The E400 Cabriolet is a true four-passenger convertible. The 113.1-inch wheelbase is 4.4 inches greater than its predecessor and that improves rear-seat legroom. Even with the top down, the trunk can accommodate enough luggage for a weekend. The split-folding rear-seat back expands the trunk space, and that can be handy in daily driving.

Befitting the Cabriolet’s sporty styling, it rides and handles like a luxury sedan without sacrificing agility. The optional air suspension, called AIR BODY CONTROL, utilizes a series of front and rear air chambers that, in concert with electronically controlled damping, enable the driver to select Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, and Individual driving modes. Each mode is as its name implies: Eco gives the best fuel economy, although at a slight drop in performance; Comfort is good for everyday use; Sport livens things up a bit, with sharper throttle response and tighter suspension settings; Sport Plus is slightly more aggressive; and Individual mode lets the driver mix and match settings according to personal taste, such as choosing the comfort suspension with the Sport Plus engine tuning.

The front seats provide proper support in all the right places, and the test vehicle was equipped with a heated steering wheel and heated front seats. Heated armrests on the door and center console were a surprise but quite welcome.

A 12.3-inch color LCD screen resides in the center of the instrument panel. It is not a touchscreen because Mercedes-Benz feels touchscreens can be distracting. A mouse-like touchpad and a rotary knob on the center console control various navigation, audio, and vehicle settings. The touchpad permits letters, numbers, and special characters to be entered in handwriting. Voice commands can also be used. Fingertip controls on the steering wheel control the trip computer, audio, and hands-free phone use. The console also has inductive wireless charging.

The base price of the E400 with rear-wheel drive is $66,300. The 4MATIC test car had a base price of $68,800. Options included white metallic paint, Macchiato Beige and Yacht Blue leather, naturalgrain Elm-wood trim, AMG 19-inch wheels, all-season tires, illuminated door sills, heated and ventilated front seats, air suspension, dark brown soft top, softclose doors, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, active parking assist, inductive wireless charging, keyless ignition, blind-spot assist, Sirius satellite radio, cabin fragrance system, aluminum sport pedals, heated armrests, and heated steering wheel. The sticker price was $81,180. .