Mercedes-Benz has officially unveiled its CLC-Class sports coupe, which is a replacement to the vehicle formerly known as the C-Class Coupe. It is styled to look like the company's new C-Class sedan and wagon, despite still being based on the previous-generation model.

About 1,100 components were either specially made for the CLC or refined from the previous model. The new CLC was given a direct steering system for increased handling and the coupe will also feature a new infotainment system.

The model shown s equipped with Mercedes-Benz's sport package, which adds 18 inch wheels, headlights with black painted inner frames, a sports suspension with lowered bodywork and chrome trim.

The basic CLC180 Kompressor and CLC200 Kompressor are powered by four-cylinder engines, delivering 143 horsepower and 184 horsepower, respectively.

The more powerful CLC230 delivers 204 horsepower from a 2.4-liter V6, and the range-topping CLC350 offers 272 horsepower from a larger 3.5-liter V6. The 350 model will sprint to 62 mph in 6.3 seconds.

Diesel variants include the CLC200 CDI and CLC220 CDI, which deliver 122 horsepower and 150 horsepower, respectively. Basic transmission choices include a five-speed automatic or six-speed manual. The V6 models are available with a seven-speed automatic, featuring paddle shifting.

Hatchback No More

Date posted: 01-26-2008


Berlin Fashion Week has been the backdrop for the introduction of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLC. Known in its last incarnation as the C-Class Sport Coupe, the compact two-door liftback has been totally restyled with an edgy new look that takes cues from the third-generation C-Class sedan and wagon.

The CLC didn't originally figure in Mercedes-Benz's model lineup (the C-Class Sport Coupe was never the success that Mercedes had hoped for), but it has been hurriedly developed to counter the unanticipated success of the BMW 1 Series, which itself started slowly, yet now has firmly established itself throughout Europe.

The growing enthusiasm for smaller cars in the U.S. plus the presence in America of the Audi A3, Mini Cooper S and Volvo C30, and the forthcoming arrival of the BMW 1 Series also imply that the general market for premium small cars in the U.S. might be growing.

In fact, rumors suggest Mercedes-Benz might even be readying a convertible version of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLC to go up against the new 2008 BMW 1 Series Convertible.

Hatchback No More
The 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLC has a bit more premium spin than the former C-Class Sport Coupe, so it slots into the present C-Class lineup just beneath the CLK.

As you'd expect, the CLC adopts the aggressive front end of the new-generation C-Class with its dual trapezoidal headlights and does away with the classic, round quad headlights. The CLC also features a prominent twin-slat grille, a look that gives it a clear family resemblance to the upmarket Mercedes-Benz CL (a connection Mercedes hopes to use to its marketing advantage).

Other styling tweaks are less dramatic. The bumpers are now a lot edgier and the front fenders get some more creases. There's a prominent character line down the flanks and the awkward-looking tailgate has been reworked to do away with the additional glass panel originally adopted to improve rear vision. Otherwise, the look is much the same as before.

Greetings From Brazil!
Despite its new look, the CLC does not adopt the significantly updated platform of its sedan and wagon siblings. In the interest of cost-saving production efficiency, the CLC relies on a lightly reworked version of its predecessor's rear-wheel-drive underpinnings, which date back to 2001. So the new CLC sits on a 106.9-inch wheelbase compared to the 108.7-inch wheelbase of the new C-Class sedan and wagon.

Ironically, the decision to base the CLC on a previous-generation platform has forced Mercedes-Benz to rethink the car's manufacturing site. Without a suitable German production facility in which to assemble the new car, Mercedes has instead moved the CLC to a factory in Brazil that was originally established in the mid-1990s to build the tiny front-wheel-drive A-Class.

Slightly Motivated
Powering the CLC will be a wide range of four- and six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines — all from the latest C-Class.

The lineup begins with a pair of supercharged 1.8-liter inline-4s — the entry-level CLC180 Kompressor is powered by a 143-horsepower version, while the CLC200 Kompressor is powered by a 184-hp iteration.

The next step up the ladder of performance leads you to the CLC230 with a 204-hp 2.4-liter V6. Finally you get to the CLC350 with its 272-hp 3.5-liter V6, and this is enough power to get this car to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 6.3 seconds on the way to a top speed of 155 mph.

On the diesel side, there are two 2.2-liter inline-4s with common-rail injection. The CLC200 CDI kicks out 122 hp and the CLC220 CDI produces 150 hp.

The supercharged four-cylinder engines are matched to a five-speed transmission, while the V6 engines feature the latest Mercedes seven-speed automatic with shift paddles on the steering wheel. A six-speed manual transmission is standard.

It's New, Really
Though it relies on the same basic chassis as its predecessor, the CLC is supposed to be a much sportier drive than before, Mercedes claims.

The key element is the new variable-rate steering rack borrowed from the German carmaker's SLK roadster. At the same time, the tuning of the four-link independent front suspension and the multilink independent rear suspension has been thoroughly revised with stiffer spring rates and firmer dampers across the lineup. The Stuttgart engineers privately tell us that it all adds up to "sharper and more direct" responses.

If this is not enough, you'll also be able to specify the CLC with an optional sport package that lowers the ride height fractionally, and no doubt there will be an AMG model of the CLC on the way.

No information has been released as yet about pricing, but it appears that the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLC is going to get serious about the market for premium-class small cars.