Mercedes is working towards bringing the C-class cabriolet, which was recently unveiled at the Geneva motor show 2016, to India later this year. The India-bound model will be a fully imported unit. The cabriolet borrows its styling and much of its dimensions from the C-class Coupe which is sold in international markets, but sits taller than its sibling.
The C-class cabriolet will be a halo car for Mercedes in India and will rival the likes of the Audi A3 cabriolet. It comes fitted with a fabric roof that can be opened and closed at speeds of up to 50kph and folds into the boot when not in use. The car’s interior is almost akin to the C-class Coupe's, though it uses heat-reflecting leather and gets the addition of a button on the centre console to control the roof mechanism.
The C-class cabriolet for India will come in the C 300 guise, powered by a 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine good for 245hp and 370Nm of torque. The cabriolet comes equipped with a nine-speed automatic gearbox as standard, with the option of Dynamic Select which allows the driver to choose from five transmission modes. The C-class cabriolet’s safety package includes an attention assist system, collision warning and autonomous emergency braking with add-on options including 360deg camera, lane keep assist and adaptive cruise control with steering assistance.
The C-class cabriolet is one of the 12 launches Mercedes has planned for this year, from which a few have been launched already. In the wake of the recent ban on diesel cars in certain parts of the country, the carmaker has been pushing its petrol portfolio with the introduction of a number of petrol-engined models like the recently launched GLC 300.
Read more about other petrol models launched by Mercedes here.