Mercedes C 300, S 500 cabriolet launch on November 9

Mercedes-Benz is set to expand its cabriolet range in India with the C 300 and S 500 cabriolets. Autocar India had reported a few days ago that the German luxury carmaker is readying an India entry for the C 300 cabriolet.

Mercedes-Benz will offer the C-Class Cabriolet with just one engine option – a 2.0-litre turbo, four-cylinder petrol engine. This is the same 245hp engine that does duty in the GLC 300 SUV. The car comes equipped with a nine-speed automatic gearbox as standard with the option of Dynamic Select, allowing the driver to choose from five transmission modes. The C300 cabriolet will be the cheapest Mercedes four-seat drop-top on sale in India and will rival the likes of the Audi A3 cabriolet.

The second convertible from Mercedes to hit Indian shores will be the S 500 cabriolet. Based on the full-size S-Class, the S500 Cabriolet is powered by a 4.7-litre twin-turbo V8 developing 442hp and 71.38kgm of torque with power sent to the rear wheels. Its styling is similar to the S-Class coupe, with an identical overall length of 5,027mm and width of 1,899mm, essentially making the cabriolet a soft-top convertible version of the coupé. The soft-top, according to Mercedes, is the longest seen on any of its cars and can be extended or folded away electrically in 20 seconds at speeds up to 60kph. The roof can also be remotely operated through the key fob. On the boot lid is the Mercedes logo, which acts as a lever to manually open the boot, and is also the cover for the reverse camera or optional 360-degree camera. The Cabriolet comes equipped with Mercedes’ new THERMOTRONIC climate control system that uses sensors to automatically adjust the temperature for roof-up and down conditions.

Mercedes will also introduce a mildly updated E 400 Cabriolet, which is likely to get more equipment and paint scheme options.