MERCEDES-AMG CLE 53 CABRIOLET

Performance version of four-seat soft-top packs a 442bhp straight six

-  JAMES DISDALE

Throw a stone in any new car showroom these days and you will struggle to hit a four-seat convertible (although you definitely will be quickly and forcibly ejected from the premises). Once a mainstay of any manufacturer line-up, drop-tops of all kinds have been, erm, dropped in line with dwindling customer demand.

In the UK, the market share of open-air machinery has decreased from nearly 4.5% in 2006 to less than 1.6% today.

Yet not all manufacturers have abandoned the concept of windin-the-hair thrills for friends and family, even if they've had to rationalise their line-ups as a result - which is where the CLE Cabriolet comes in. Previously Mercedes would sell you a ragtop version of the C-Class or E-Class, but now it has rolled these models into one.

To make up for this, the German firm has ensured that buyers aren't short of engine and trim options: there are four-cylinder petrol and diesel units as well as a creamysmooth straight six.

Just as importantly, there are also high-performance AMG versions, including a forthcoming CLE 63 that will be powered by a 585bhp twin-turbocharged V8 (probably). Until then, though, there's the CLE 53, which gets a more 'modest' 442bhp 3.0-litre straight six.

An early drive in warm Spanish sunshine last autumn went down well, but how will the 53 Cabriolet fare over here in early spring?