Mercedes CLC 180 coupé Sport auto CC: 1796 0-100km/h: 9.9 secs BHP: 141 Consumption: 7.8l/100km (36.2mpg) CO2: 198g/km Motor tax: €1,050 Price: €46,120
WHAT DEFINES a coupé? Three doors? Big alloys? A premium price? Visible chest hair and a gold chain?
We were left mulling over these questions after a week in the CLC, Mercedes’ three-door coupé for the C-Class market.
Given that the premium entry-level saloons are meant to attract the few young high-fliers left in the world and, presumably, start them out on a lifelong loyalty to the brand, a sportier version is a prerequisite. Even Lexus is getting around to offering one this summer to accompany its IS range.
With an illustrious sporting pedigree, and pioneering success with cars like the CLS, you’d expect a real winner from Mercedes. If nothing else, it could simply take the current C-Class, which is a real star, and weld the rear doors shut. Then lower the roofline, fit with a set of 18” alloys and – hey presto – the coupé has arrived.
Unfortunately not. Unlike its Teutonic rivals, Mercedes has often taken a different approach to this particular category. It seeks to add a little more hatchback practicality to the mix. What you get is a coupé that’s not reserved for brash young suits, but is just as likely to be owned by a couple whose children have flown the coop – those to whom market researchers refer as “empty nesters”, often seeking to fulfill long-held wishes, sacrificed for years in favour of family commitments.
The difference is that they have too much experience of practical life to accept the sacrifices coupés demand, such as the agility of a Russian gymnast when getting in and out and the bootspace of a small handbag.
That’s arguably where the CLC comes into its own. It may say coupé in the handbook, but the metal suggests hatchback.
As a big fan of the new C-Class, we were anticipating greatness from the CLC. And from the front it has all the winning features of its sibling saloon. From the side and rear, however, it bears quite a resemblance to the earlier model.
That’s not altogether surprising, for this is not actually a completely new model: rather, it is a revamp of the previous sports coupé. While Mercedes points to over 1,100 new or enhanced components and a shell that retains only the doors and roof of the outgoing model, it’s still a pity it did not opt to build upon the excellent underpinnings of the new C-Class.
To bridge the gap between the two models now sharing forecourt space, Mercedes is offering an optional Sports package for the CLC range. It really should be a standard fit – to miss out on the sports pack raises the obvious question: why would you want a coupé if you didn’t want sporting characteristics? After all, for similar money you can get a well-equipped C-Class, with all the extra comfort, legroom and practicality that comes with having a proper saloon.
One key feature of the new sports pack is the stiffer sports suspension and Mercedes variable-ratio direct steer system. The former gives the car a decent ride quality without being too harsh, but the latter is a real improvement. Admittedly, they haven’t completely ironed out a tendency to wallow in corners, but handling is much sharper than the previous version. Steering feel – not always a strong point for Mercedes in our opinion – is also much better than the outgoing model.
What you have here is an affordable Mercedes that’s a halfway house between the sportier offerings from rivals like Audi and BMW and the premium hatchback fare.
In terms of practicalities, the back seats are fine for children, if a little tight for adults. The boot space is decent, if not quite as big as we would have hoped.Another gripe would be the interior trim: it could be better. With the sports pack you get nicely stitched leather upholstery, and it’s one of a number of premium touches that justify the three-pointed star embedded in the front. What let it down, however, were the hard plastics of the switchgear – in many ways we were more taken by the interior of the Opel Insignia or even the upcoming Mazda3. It’s perhaps the most apparent signal that it’s not actually a sibling of the current C-Class.
Four engines are on general release in the CLC range here, starting with a 1.8-litre petrol with either 143bhp in the CLC 180 version or 184bhp in the CLC 200 version. A 2.5-litre 240bhp and 3.5-litre 272bhp are also on offer, but are unlikely to be big sellers. Finally there’s a 2.2-litre diesel in either 122bhp or 150bhp – probably going to be the most popular version for Irish roads.
The test car was the 143bhp 1.8-litre petrol and, though it sounds metallic and wheezy when started cold, once it stretches its legs the engine feels a much better fit.
Nevertheless, we’d still opt for the extra power of the CLC 200 and save a few euro on the upgrade by ditching the automatic gearbox. It may have paddle shifts to impress F1 fans, but there are far better automatic transmissions on offer these days and, when left to its own devices, it often leaves the engine whining at high revs rather than changing up.
As much as we’d strongly recommend the sports pack to garner some proper coupé feel, be warned that it comes with more punitive taxes. The upside is improved handling, but it also means an increase of 10-12g in emissions that push the car into a higher tax band and increase annual motor tax from €630 to €1,050. But if you save that money, what was the point in buying a coupé in the first place?
So the new CLC is more hatchback than sports coupé, but it’s a decent mid-range offering that will appeal to Mercedes fans. It will not out-run its German rivals and it’s unlikely to convert many from BMW’s 3 Series coupé, or, indeed, the star attraction du jour, Audi’s A5. Those two cars have more youthful poise and attraction than the CLC. Even in terms of hatchbacks, BMW’s 1 Series range has significant advantages in terms of performance and cost savings over this car.
What the CLC does is offer loyal fans the chance to get their own three-pointed star and one that can honestly carry the brand without feeling like an also-ran.
This is a fully-fledged Mercedes. For our money we’d still opt for the C-Class saloon every time over this coupé and, with the new Avantgarde styling range on the saloon, those looking for something a little more muscular are well catered for.
Yet the CLC is a useful addition to the range and one that will satisfy the loyal flock of owners who have long desired to follow the three-pointed star.
Factfile
- Engine:1796cc, four-cylinder, in-line turbocharged petrol engine putting out 141bhp @ 5,200rpm and 220Nm of torque @ 2,500rpm.
- Specification:Front and side airbags and windowbag for driver/pasenger and rear occupants; ABS with brake assist; ESP with skid control; radio/CD; brake wear indicator; auto dual-zone climate control; reach and rake adjustment on steering column; three-spoke multifunction steering wheel; collapsible spare tyre; fabric/leather upholstery; split-folding rear seats; front sports seats; Bluetooth phone connection; cruise control; first-aid kit. Sports package adds: black and chrome louvred radiator grille; leather multi-function steering wheel; 18" alloys
- L/100km (mpg):urban: 11.1 (25.4); extra-urban: 5.9 (47.9); combined: 7.8 (36.2)
- CO2 emissions:198g/km
- Tax:VRT – 32 per cent; motor tax – €1,050
- Price:€46,120 (€36,905 to €53,555)
