LESS roof and more gears could be the brief summation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet.

It is the first regular medium model from the brand to team a nine-speed automatic with rear-wheel drive and 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engines that are, for now, the only lid-lopped options available to those paying a portly $20,000 premium over the equivalent C-Class Coupe.

The inaugural C-Class Cabriolet also paves the way for the elderly E-Class Cabriolet – which was based on the previous C and not the E sedan – to flourish into a properly large and more expensive drop-top variant confirmed to debut globally next year.

For now, the $85,900 (plus on-road costs) C200 Cabriolet and $99,900 C300 Cabriolet can finally take on their equivalent nameplate nemeses the Audi A5 Cabriolet and BMW 4 Series Convertible, targeting buyers who want four-seat luxury without bumping heads into a swoopy coupe roofline.

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