Merc's a classy cabriolet without compromise

Luxury drop-top is a joy to drive no matter the weather, writes Tom Sharpe

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The entry price for ownership of a new Mercedes-Benz CLE Cabriolet? £54,495. A week of clear skies in which to drive it in the UK? Priceless.

To say that I was blessed during my week with the CLE 200 AMG Line is something of an understatement.

Days after I mournfully waved it farewell from my driveway, Storm Amy was scattering my recycling down the street.

It is rare that a car manufacturer sends an entry-level offering to a road tester, but driving the CLE Cabriolet was no hardship.

The replacement for drop-top versions of the C-Class and E-Class, it is one of the few cars in its class to deliver adult-sized rear seat accommodation.

The CLE 200's 201bhp two-litre turbocharged petrol engine is the range's only petrol powerplant to claim over 40 miles-per-gallon thanks, in part, to some mild hybrid tech.