Mercedes C-Class Coupe

WHAT MORE dynamic way to celebrate the invention of the automobile? The C-Class Coupé seesMercedes-Benz, now in its 125th year of corporate history, entering a new
market segment and for the first time offering a compact, classic coupé. 

Aimed at the 35-45 age range, the new coupé beguiles the onlooker with its compact proportions and low silhouette. Typical coupé features include the short front overhang, long bonnet, steeply raked windscreen and long, stretched out roof. The cabin extends far beyond the rear axle over the rear window in its flat position to a sportily short tail end.

At the front, the new coupé shares the same styling as the latest C-Class and yet still has its own twist. The front view is dominated by the prominent radiator grille surround including the bumper. The centre air intake opens upwards, forming a visual base unit for the radiator grille which has the double-louvre style typical of a coupé. Two chrome louvres extend left and right either side of the central star, tapering off at the outer edges and creating a sporty, arrow-shaped horizontal sweep which gives the front end a pronounced V-shape.

From the rear, the new C-Class Coupé looks sportily short. Because the roof flows beyond the rear axle with the steeply raked rear window and fluid C-pillars, the appearance of length is reduced. A wide chamfer at the top of the boot lid, which is based on the side panel, highlights the rear’s compactness.

Inside, the C-Class Coupé is a fully fledged four-seater featuring sporty, comfortable integral seats. If desired, the backrests in the rear can be folded down to make the boot larger. The dashboard instrument panel features a strong, high-quality design and, as standard, the coupé comes with the new generation of three-spoke steering wheel with its chromed central spoke that first appeared on the new CLS.

There is a choice of three petrol and two diesel engines to power the C-Class Coupé. They are all equipped with direct injection and the ECO start/stop function as standard. Also, all the engine variants are classed as Blue EFFICIENCY units, showing that they are particularly efficient and environmentally friendly in their use of fuel.

The C 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY AMG Sport Coupé oil-burner, on test here, is available with 6-speed manual transmission and is capable of 55.4mpg. My demo car had the 7G-Tronic Plus 7-speed automatic transmission with Speedtronic cruise control, variable speed limiter and steering wheel gear shift paddles fitted. The optional ‘box made the whole driving experience rapid and smooth as silk – yet the car still returned 53.3mpg. This corresponds to 139 grams of CO2 per kilometre, compared to 133g/km for the manual.

If all that isn’t quite enough to make you want to splash your cash on the new Merc, then its impressive safety kit might just do the trick. With seven airbags as standard, belt tensioners and belt-force limiters for all seats, the C-Class Coupé is not just a sexy, classy motor; it is an extremely protective car to be in should the worst happen.

PROS ‘N’ CONS

• Dynamic √
• Economical √
• Safe √
• Costly X

FAST FACTS

• Max speed: 144 mph
• 0-62 mph: 8.1 seconds ( with 7G-Tronic
  Plus 7-speed automatic)
• Combined mpg: 53.3
• Engine: 2143 cc twin turbo diesel
• Max. power (bhp): 170 at 3000 – 4200 rpm
• Max. torque (lb/ft): 295
  at 1400 – 2800 rpm
• CO2: 139 g/km (with 7G-Tronic
  Plus 7-speed automatic)
• Price: £32,580 On the road (without optional auto-gearbox)