The E-Class Cabriolet could bring more to the perk car table than you’d first think, says Julian Kirk.

E-Class Cabriolet

Segment: Executive Type: Diesel Price: £45,865 Fuel: 55.7 combined CO2 emissions: 126g/km

Granted, convertible cars have long been seen as a ‘no-no’ on company car choice lists, but this latest iteration of the E-Class Cabriolet puts up a strong case for itself.

It’s obviously not as practical as the saloon, estate and coupe versions, but nevertheless it still offers full four-seat capability, a decent boot and a frugal diesel engine which offers manageable benefit-in-kind tax bills.

As a user-chooser perk car, the E-Class Cabriolet ticks lots of boxes. Firstly, in terms of car park kudos, it has the badge and looks to stand out. The styling is svelte, resembling a scaled down S-Class Cabriolet but without that car’s land yacht size. Inside, the good work continues with a snug cabin dominated by the widescreen cockpit system made up of two large screens – one in the instrument binnacle and the other as the central infotainment screen. Both are configurable, clear, look great and are well worth the £495 option upgrade.

Secondly, this is a practical niche car – four adults can sit in comfort, the boot is not overly-compromised by having to stow the folded roof mechanism, and there is plenty of storage space in the cabin. The fabric roof is also well insulated from external noise.

Thirdly, it’s a realistic proposition – CO2 emission of 126g/km from the new (and impressively refined) 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine and combined fuel economy of a claimed 57.7mpg will not have the finance department recoiling in horror. And thanks to a nine-speed automatic transmission this is a car to cover serious mileage in.

Factor in the sunshine factor in the summer when the roof comes off (or any time of the year for the brave thanks to the standard fit AirScarf neck-level heating system) and this is a car with which to stand out from the crowd all year round.

What we think:

An elegant, practical open-top car with the badge to appeal to user-choosers. Efficient diesel engine makes fleet sense too.