Mercedes C Coupe, instantly thrilling?

By Miles Downard

Mercedes has been making rather big waves over the last year and a half. There’s been a right barrage of new vehicles coming out of Stuttgart, most of which have broken the Mercedes mould and accordingly attracted a great deal of attention. This stunning little number, the new C Class Coupe, is no different.

On the outside

“Instantly thrilling” is the catch phrase Mercedes has attached to the launch of the new C Class Coupe and from reactions thus far I can see why. There’s been a complete rethink from the lads in Stuttgart about what a Mercedes Coupe denotes. Where previously the C Coupe looked like a hatchback-esque sibling to the saloon version, the new one shares the front of a C Class that flows into a swooping roof line and ends with the rear of the stunning S Coupe (or rather “Mercedes coupe genes” as they like to put it). The result is most certainly thrilling.

On the inside

It’s predictably much the same inside as a normal C Class, which is by no means a bad thing. In comparison to companies like Audi, that pride themselves on complete and uncompromising minimalism, the Mercedes might come across a bit cluttered. But my hat is this some sophisticated looking clutter. There’s aluminium toggle-style buttons, expanses of piano-black surface and sweeping brushed metal facades.

Read also: Mercedes A200d gets a face-lift, but can it keep it up?

This one is 95mm longer and 40mm wider than before, which translates into decent legroom for rear passengers along with a nice sized boot. The low slung roof does cause issues if those passengers are tall, though.

Behind the wheel

At launch Mercedes is offering three engines choices; there are two 2.0 litre petrol units offering 135 and 180kW respectively, and a 2.1 litre diesel pushing 125kW and 400 torques. Gear changes come from either a 7 speed auto for the petrol lumps, while the diesel gets Merc’s 9 speed ‘box. Having driven the lot I think the C300 is the pick of the bunch for the simple reason that it suits the Coupe’s sporty personality best. That said the rest all do the trick just fine.

The C Coupe, on standard-issue suspension, sits 15mm lower than its saloon sibling to emphasize its sportier nature. One can spec sports suspension including direct steer, or air suspension if you feel so inclined. You definitely feel the difference across those options, but more so over the standard saloon. The Coupe is undoubtedly less comfy, the question is whether it makes up for that by being a good drive?

The answer is yes. The normal C Class is actually surprising from behind the wheel, rivalled only by BMW’s 3. The C Coupe takes that a step further with its revised suspension setup, creating a sharper, more decisive feeling front end. Not quite as darty as the quicker-racked BMW 4, though.

Pricing

Starting at R550,000 and ending just over R660,000 for the C300 puts it pretty much in line with its German rivals, the BMW 4 and Audi A5. Standard kit in the Merc includes the basics like Bluetooth, cruise control and a nice size display. Otherwise you’re paying for things.

Verdict

I guess the question is whether I’d have one of these over the rivals mentioned above. Answer is definitely over the Audi, and most likely over the BMW. The A5 is really dated now, with the shape having not changed in years and that’s just the first of my complaints. The BMW doesn’t look as good, but is better to drive. It’s a tough call but on average I think more people will be drawn to the striking C Coupe.

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