TAKING THE ROOF WITH THE SMOOTH

AMG CLE53 Cabriolet showcases all the upsides of a convertible car

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Convertibles remain popular, yet there aren't the options out there as there once were. But Mercedes still sees merit in the drop-top, bringing its CLE Cabriolet into the fold a year ago. And now its its AMG arm has come up with the CLE53 Cabriolet.

WHAT'S NEW?

There are lots of classic AMG touches going on here - big, blistered arches to accommodate a wider track and larger wheels, while the brakes and suspension have been sharpened. And there's a trick exhaust to make it sound good. Inside, there's space for four and a folding fabric roof opens at the touch of a button at speeds up to 37mph.

UNDER THE BONNET?

There's a 3.0-litre turbocharged six-cylinder petrol engine with 449bhp and 560Nm of torque. Driven through a nine-speed automatic gearbox and into the Mercedes 4Matic all-wheel drive system, it gets this convertible from 0-60mph in 4.1 seconds with a top speed of 155mph. Mercedes claims just over 29mpg combined, but we exceeded this easily on a long motorway stretch. However it isn't difficult to get that figure plummeting when you start driving more quickly.

WHAT'S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?