Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe: Nothing but sporty sleekness

By MALCOLM GUNN WWW.WHEELBASEMEDIA.COM

8 years ago

COURTESY MERCEDES-BENZ The C-Class is longer and wider than before, which makes it more practical, if that matters to you. It is good to know, however, that the trunk is big enough to easily hold two sets of golf clubs.

COURTESY MERCEDES-BENZ The front seats are firm and supportive, but it’s too bad that the video display doesn’t retract into the dash.

COURTESY MERCEDES-BENZ The intuitive seat adjusters are located up high on the doors (instead of down low on the seats themselves) and since you can see them, it’s useful that they’re shaped like a seat. There’s no fumbling.

COURTESY MERCEDES-BENZ With 3.1 more inches of space between the front and rear wheels, there’s more passenger room, which is crucial so that back-seat riders don’t feel claustrophobic.

With a few exceptions, two-door coupes are more prevalent in the upper echelons of the automotive establishment. This includes the Teutonic trio of Audi, BMW and, of course, Mercedes-Benz, which recently launched the latest version of the two-door C-Class.

A derivative of the new-for-2016 C-Class sedan, the coupe has much in common with its four-door sibling. From the windshield pillar forward there’s little to distinguish the two, but from that point back, it’s nothing but sporty sleekness that ends in a neatly abbreviated trunk. There’s no bad view, no matter the angle.

The view inside is equally pleasant and also reminiscent of the C-Class sedan. The front seats are firm and supportive, but comfortable, especially on long drives. As well, they are multipower-adjustable, with controls conveniently located on the upper door panels and not hidden out of sight beside the seat cushions. The standard 7.0-inch and optional 8.4-inch displays are perched on the dashboard in a stuck-on fashion, but at least they’re user-friendly and easily controlled from a touchpad on the floor console.

Contributing to the coupe’s comfort is the increased size over the previous version. A 3.1-inch gain between the front and rear wheels (part of a 3.7-inch increase in overall length) plus 1.6 inches in added width translate into more leg and elbow room for front- and rear-seat passengers. Although it doesn’t look it from the outside, there’s easily trunk space for a couple of sets of golf clubs plus assorted cargo.

The test car is a C300, so a push of the starter button fires up a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that’s good for 241 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. This is the same turbo-four that powers the C300 sedan and the GLC (formerly GLK) wagon.

Despite the engine’s small displacement, Mercedes-Benz claims the coupe can hit 60 mph from rest in just under six seconds, which, after a few good stoplight blasts, feels about right. Off the line, the C300 starts out sedately, but as the turbo spools up, things literally get rolling. Shift through second and third gear using the paddle shifters for the seven-speed automatic transmission and the pushback into the seats is quite pronounced.

Coming later in the model year is the C450 AMG coupe, fitted with a twin-turbocharged V-6, and a high-performance AMG that will deliver 503 horsepower from a twin-turbo V-8.

The C300’s standard sport suspension (which lower’s the coupe by 0.6 of an inch compared to the sedan) makes the car fun to push around, aided by the available 4Matic all-wheel-drive that constantly adjusts torque to all four wheels for maximum grip in wet or dry conditions.

For your driving pleasure, the standard Dynamic Select can vary the coupe’s throttle response, shift points and steering effort between Eco, Comfort, Sport and Sport+ modes. The latter setting also gives the normally sedate exhaust a delightfully harsh rasp that sounds more like a V-6 than a four-cylinder.

The C300’s entry fee starts at $43,600 and $45,600 for the 4Matic. For that, you get plenty of luxury equipment plus a panoramic sunroof.

From that point, selecting just a few of the many options can easily add another $10,000-$15,000. They include a navigation system, head-up information display, 360-degree camera, premium Burmester sound package, 19-inch wheels (18-inchers are standard) and front and rear self-leveling air suspension with continuously variable shock damping (part of the Sport Appearance Package). Also optional is a full suite of active-safety technology, such as emergency braking, which is a Mercedes-Benz specialty.

Much of the C300 coupe’s content is standard or available for the sedan, but for those who prefer sportier looks over more practical shapes and don’t have too many kids or other family members, fewer doors wins, hands-down.