The C-Class sports coupé has seen big changes, but has Mercedes done enough to guarantee success with the new CLC? Kyle Fortune finds out
SEVENTY PER cent. That's the figure I'll now always associate with the old C-Class sports coupé. Marc Boderke, Mercedes-Benz product manager, revealed that big number at its CLC replacement launch: it referring to the so-called customer capture rate of the C-Class sports coupé. That's a huge figure, especially when you consider some two-thirds of those conquest sales went on to buy another Mercedes-Benz.
However, you have to bear in mind that the C-Class sports coupé was an enormous success for the German firm. So it's hardly surprising then, that Mercedes has given it such a comprehensive makeover in a bid to continue that success, giving it a name change too, CLC.
I've always thought the "coupé" name was stretching it a bit with the C-Class sports coupé. Really it's just a stylish hatchback which alongside the rest of the svelte Mercedes-Benz coupé line-up, sits rather incongruously. But what is a coupé these days anyway? Mercedes itself calls its CLS four-door a coupé, so why not its entry-level three-door, rear-wheel drive hatchback?
The CLC is a good-looking car too, so it at least fulfils one of the expected criteria of a coupé. Up front there's a wider, more prominent grille, reshaped bonnet and wings, projector headlamps and a new bumper; the CLC presenting an entirely new, rather than merely tweaked, face to the world.
Around the back the designers have been just as busy; the huge rear lights of the sports coupé have been replaced by slimmer units and the second rear window under the old spoiler has been removed and covered by bodywork - to the detriment of rear visibility.
There's also an LED brake light across the entire bootlid and a diffuser under the rear bumper, which doesn't actually have any function other than to look good.
The changes are almost enough to convince you that Mercedes has in fact introduced an entirely new model, but in profile the CLC betrays its C-Class sports coupé roots. It may look more like its current C-Class relative, but underneath it's still closely related to the old car.
Mercedes talks about having enhanced the dynamic ability of the new CLC, adding its direct steering on the sport models, but whatever version you choose it's still a car that's more suited to comfortable cruising than it is press-on driving.
The ride is smooth and refinement good, but coupé buyers wanting an exciting drive will find there's very little feel from the steering. The rear-wheel drive chassis offers nice, largely neutral balance, but it's unlikely you'll ever be going quickly enough to discover it. That's simply because the CLC will predominantly be sold in the smaller output four-cylinder guises, the two petrol V6s (CLC 230 and CLC 350) making up only an infinitesimal number of the overall sales in Europe, and even fewer here in Ireland.
Six engine choices in total are on offer and all benefit from improvements in economy and emissions over their predecessors. Unsurprisingly, the majority of sales will be taken by the CLC 180 Kompressor, the entry-level 1.8-litre supercharged unit delivering 141bhp and 220Nm of torque. Its CO2 emissions of just 170g/km and combined economy of 7.2l/100km appeal as much as the relatively sensible sticker price. Push it and 100km/h arrives in 9.7 seconds, which is hardly rocket ship performance, but adequate. For a bit more pace there's also a CLC 200 K with 181bhp and a pair of economical diesels in CLC 200 and 220 CDI guises with 120bhp and 148bhp respectively.
It's those turbodiesels that appeal most, their sub 6.0l/100km and low CO2 figures making them cheaper to run long-term propositions. Like the CLC 180 K, neither will be setting any speed records, but the easier mid-range, real-world performance offered by their healthy torque figures gives them the advantage on the road over their petrol brethren. It's all rather sensible for a coupé actually, overall the CLC appealing on a practical rather than an emotional level.
So there's decent space inside - for a coupé - the boot a sensible shape and that hatchback gives good access to it. The rear seats are usable, if not overly generous on head and legroom, though sufficient for children or smaller adults. It's inside, though, where the CLC demonstrates how Mercedes has managed to introduce the CLC without any real hike in its entry-level pricing.
The interior is virtually identical to the sports coupé - it was never the best interior in the old car and it feels very tired in the CLC. A few changes to the materials and a revised entertainment system aside the CLC's cabin just doesn't quite match up to expectations raised by the significantly reworked exterior.
As those 70 per cent conquest customers proved before they're prepared to move brands. And with the CLC now no longer alone in the small premium coupé market, Mercedes will find it has got a far, far tougher fight on its hands - however pretty the new face.