Among a handful of luxury convertible cars on sale in India that are priced just north of Rs 1 crore, we have the BMW M440i and Mercedes CLE 300. While the Mercedes-Benz CLE is based on the fifth-gen C-Class platform, the BMW M440i's platform can trace its roots back to the 3-Series sedan. Both, the CLE 300 and M440i, are available with all-wheel drive in our market. Having said that, how do these luxury convertibles compare in terms of their specifications and prices.
BMW M440i Convertible vs Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Cabriolet: Dimensions
The CLE Cabriolet is larger in all exterior dimensions than its M440i counterpart
The CLE 300 Cabriolet is 80mm longer and 30mm taller than the BMW M440i Convertible while also sporting a longer wheelbase (by 14mm). The Mercedes convertible is also slightly wider and 68kg heavier than its BMW convertible rival. On the other hand, both cars come with 19-inch alloy wheels and a luggage capacity of 385 litres (with the roof up).
BMW M440i Convertible vs Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Cabriolet: Engine and performance
The Bimmer’s punchier six-cylinder mill makes it faster than the Mercedes
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Both of these convertibles come with direct-injection turbo-petrol engines with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system, all-wheel drive (AWD) and an automatic transmission. They even share the same electronically limited top speed of 250kph. However, the BMW M440i’s larger–displacement six-cylinder engine produces 116 more horsepower and 100 newton-metres more torque than the Mercedes CLE 300’s four-cylinder mill.
The M440i xDrive Convertible is not only more powerful than its CLE 300 counterpart, but a claimed kerb weight of 1,890kg also makes it 95kg lighter. These advantages combine to make the BMW convertible a claimed 1.7 seconds quicker in the run from 0-100kph over the CLE 300 Cabriolet. Mercedes-Benz India only offers the CLE 300 Cabriolet in the AMG Line trim, which features a lower ride height and a firmer suspension setup over a non-AMG-Line version. The BMW M440i xDrive, however, gets adaptive sports suspension as standard. This allows drivers to switch between different suspension modes on the fly – something that cannot be done in the Merc.
BMW M440i Convertible vs Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 Cabriolet: Price
The Mercedes convertible is slightly pricier than its BMW counterpart
The Mercedes-Benz CLE 300 4MATIC Cabriolet is Rs 6 lakh more expensive than the BMW M440i xDrive Convertible. This price gap widens by Rs 6.90 lakh in case buyers pick one of Merc’s Manufaktur exterior colour options available for the CLE 300. Between the two, the BMW M440i convertible offers more performance and also comes in at a slightly lower price.
All prices are ex-showroom, India.
Uday Singh
Saptarshi Mondal
Viraaj Bhatnagar
Rivan RS 
Dipan Sur
