• Familiar C-Class dashboard for the Cabriolet
• Well-assembled, high-quality materials
• Sports front seats shared with Coupe

Park your convertible with the roof down and you’ll want the interior to look as glamorous as the bodywork. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet’s cabin doesn’t disappoint, that’s despite it being shared with other C-Class bodystyles as well as the GLC SUV.

It’s a stylish, swoopy affair, set off by circular air vents for a classic, rather than retro, touch. There is little to sully its form aside from the fixed tablet-style multimedia display that looks like something of an afterthought as it does in every Mercedes in which it features.

Some may find the silver-painted switchgear a bit gauche but overall it’s a tasteful cabin, with a variety of trim appliques – depending upon the trim level – to amplify the dashboard. The matt-finished wood looks particularly contemporary.

Not all of the interior plastics are of the squidgy soft-touch variety buyers seemingly crave these days, but it’s hard to find many aspects that feel distinctly downmarket – save for the removable cupholder separators under the dashboard lid – a Lidl touch in a Waitrose world.

Settling into a comfortable driving position is easy, the same supportive sports seats with integral headrests, additionally featuring the Airscarf system in the Cabriolet, ensuring you complete each journey ache-free.

The instrumentation is clear and unambiguous; the optional digital cockpit provides three alternative designs and comprehensive multimedia information, too. Mercedes-AMG models can also be specified with a superb head-up display projected onto the windscreen.

Mercedes-Benz infotainment

Controlling the multimedia system requires deft use of the rotary controller, which is reasonably easy to get to grips with but less intuitive than BMW’s iDrive. The latest infotainment systems support Apple CarPlay (as part of Premium packages) and feature capacitive pads on the steering wheel for safer control.

Earlier models feature a smaller 8.4-inch display, and a choice of a more conventional audio system with integrated Garmin sat-nav or the connected Comand Online system.

Current models have a 12.3-inch widescreen display and support Car-to-X communication, though you still need to go for the Premium package to get the benefits.

We’re particularly fond of the neat integration of the Burmester sound system that’s available for extra cost. We’ve experienced it in countless Mercedes cars now, but it sounds great and the door speakers’ finishing adds a definite element of ‘premium’ to the proceedings.

Is the C-Class Cabriolet refined?

• Aircap reduces wind buffeting but looks ugly
• Adaptive suspension boosts ride comfort
• Spacious for a four-seater convertible

It’s a spacious cabin for four adults, particularly up front, with electrically-adjustable seats, many featuring substantial side bolstering.

Those in the rear are fine if they’re of no taller than average height. While virtually no-one will have much to complain about, rear seat leg and elbow room, headroom with the soft-top erected is at a premium, useful only if you’ve an inclination to develop a cricked neck. The seats themselves are a little unforgiving in the padding department and have near-vertical backrests.

Open the Cabriolet up to the elements and the sky’s literally the limit for head space, but adults in the back instead suffer from wind buffeting, with or without the Aircap system raised. It’s thoroughly effective for front-seat passengers, although the aerofoil deployed at the top of the windscreen does generate wind noise.

Roof-up it’s satisfyingly quiet in the cabin, thanks to its snug fit and well-insulated lining – most of the exterior noise you hear relates to airflow disturbances around the door mirrors and tyre roar on especially smooth roads. This can be quite pronounced on the lowest-profile tyres with large alloys and conventional suspension.

Naturally, the cabin’s comfort-enhancing amenities include dual-zone climate control, heated front seats and the familiar Airscarf system where warm air is blown out from the seats to envelop front-seat passengers’ necks.