Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe 2011 Review

Mercedes-Benz has taken its time creating a worthy rival for the venerable BMW 3 Series Coupe and Audi A5 Coupe, but if first impressions are anything to go by, the wait has been worth it.

Presenting a sporty and sophisticated exterior design that is unmistakably C-Class, yet with more attitude thanks to its stretched back roofline and two-door body style, the C-Class Coupe represents a much sportier direction for the brand.

While 'Benz is often viewed as a more mature brand than Audi or BMW, the C-Class Coupe is clear evidence that Stuttgart still knows how to craft a youthful vehicle that will attract younger buyers.

Ignore the head-turning exterior design for a moment and you’re looking at an affordable prestige vehicle that is comfortable, quiet, well equipped and safe, yet competent and composed when fired into a corner at speed. Indeed, when the driver decides to switch the music from Vivaldi to Led Zeppelin, the C Coupe does not wilt, and for mine this was always going to be a sticking point.

That Mercedes can retain its reputation as a supplier of the smoothest of ride qualities while ensuring bolder drivers aren’t left wondering what could have been is testament to the car. Glam Turismo indeed...

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

The entry-level C 180 Coupe is powered by a 1.8-litre turbocharged and direct injected four-cylinder petrol engine (see MECHANICAL for more details). Despite the modest price tag undercutting its closest BMW and Audi rivals by significant margins, the C 180 comes with a range of primo standard features, such as a Nappa leather steering wheel, ‘man-made’ leather seats, reverse parking sensors, automatic climate control, Bluetooth connectivity for phones and audio streaming devices, 17-inch alloy wheels, light sensitive headlights, rain detecting windscreen wipers and LED daytime running lights.

Step up to the C 250 Coupe or C 250 CDI Coupe, both priced at $69,900, and in addition to the above items you can add things like larger 18-inch alloy wheels, bovine leather upholstery, the COMAND infotainment system with a larger colour screen and Internet browser, voice controlled systems and dynamic route guidance, not to mention a 10Gb music register. These models also add a Dynamic handling package, which adds dual-mode (standard/sport) push-button suspension adjustability.

Move up to the range-topping C 350 Coupe, which is powered by a 3.5-litre V6 petrol engine, and fully adjustable electric front seats with memory presets are stock, as are bi-xenon headlights with intelligent and active light systems. A beefier stereo is also added, in the form of a Harman Kardon Logic 7 system.

Technically in a league of its own, the C 63 AMG Coupe is powered by a fire-breathing 6.2-litre V8 and more than doubles the price of the nearest model, the C 250 Coupe. Due in Australian dealerships from October 2011, the $154,800 AMG model is the ultra high-performance model, adding things like upgraded AMG brakes and sports suspension, wider 18-inch alloy wheels, Nappa leather upholstery throughout and metallic paint.

MECHANICAL

Mercedes claims the C 180 Coupe will hit 100km/h from standstill in 8.9 seconds and drinks 7.3 litres of fuel per 100km with a CO2 output of 169g/km, while the C 250 Coupe reaches the same speed in 7.1 seconds, yet has uses less fuel (7.0L/100km) and emits fewer noxious fumes (163 grams of CO2 per kilometre).

But if you really want the most efficient model, the C 250 CDI Coupe will be your first port of call. The twin turbo direct injected engine has a claimed fuel economy rating of just 5.1L/100km and CO2 emission figures of 134g/km, yet is the second fastest of all four variants, with a 7.1 second 0-100km/h dash. Such strong acceleration is due in large part to the car's massive 500Nm of torque, which kicks in at just 1600rpm, while peak power of 150kW arrives at 4200rpm - impressive figures when you consider the engine is a four-cylinder unit displacing just 2.1 litres.

The diesel model is also fitted with an automatic engine stop/start system.

However if you feel the need for speed, the C 350 Coupe will be your weapon of choice. Powered by the recently updated 3.5-litre V6 engine, it is good for 225kW/370Nm. Ostensibly a rival for the BMW 335i Coupe, the C 350 Coupe touches 100km/h from rest in 6.0 seconds flat, but is also the thirstiest of the pack, using 8.3L/100km and with CO2 emissions of 194g/km.

All models have an electronically limited top speed of 210km/h.

Keeping occupants cushioned from the road, every C Coupe makes use of tri-link McPherson struts at the front and multi-link independent suspension at the rear, while steering is controlled via hydraulic rack and pinion systems. All models except the C 180 Coupe are packaged standard with the Dynamic Handling package, which drops ride height by 15mm thanks to shorter, stiffer springs and upgraded shockers and stronger torsion bars. A more direct steering ratio is also added to C 250, C 250 CDI and C 350 Coupes.

PACKAGING

The new exterior design is appealing and in my opinion more dynamic when seen in the metal. But the external design has ramifications for the interior. It's not as dire as you might think however, as you sit a little lower in the car so head room in the front is still ample - even for tall drivers. But it's the rear seat passengers who feel the side effects of the form-before-function design, with head room non-existent for anyone taller than about 175cm and egress proving a difficult due to the low and recessed nature of the seats.

Nevertheless, leg room is excellent for front occupants and decent for those in the rear, and there is a discernibly sportier ambience than its less gregarious sedan/estate cousins thanks to deeper seats with pronounced side bolsters. Granted, it's a small change yet one that significantly alters the ambience inside the car from 'pleasant' to 'very sporty' - and the pews are suitably comfortable too.

The rest of the car's interior is virtually identical to the C-Class sedan/estate model, sharing the same dash and instrument panel, which is no bad thing considering the recently updated designs. By and large it's a very pleasant cabin in which to spend time and for mine trumps both the Audi and the BMW for overall sense of occasion.

Storage solutions include twin cup holders hidden beneath a sliding cover behind the gearshift, and door pockets (though no bottle holders). The boot is still deep enough to swallow several golf bags, losing only 15 litres to the C-Class sedan with its generous 450-litre capacity.

There’s also a handful of 'packages' that add to the Coupe's standard kit, with the Vision Package ($5240) including the up-spec Harman Kardon Logic 7 surround sound stereo, a tilt/slide panoramic glass roof and an active headlight system that adds xenon globes.

Drivers who want improved convenience can order the Comfort Package ($3600 on C 250/CDI and $1760 on C 350) which adds fully electrically adjustable and heated seats with memory presets, a Keyless-Go proximity key fob and chrome door handle inserts.

Perhaps best suited to the car's ethos however is the AMG Package ($4150 on all models except C 180, which is $5550), buying you plenty of interior kit such as flat-bottom steering wheel, rear arm rest, steering wheel gear shift paddles, black roof liner, brushed aluminium trim, black floor mats and brushed stainless steel pedals. The AMG Package also adds 18-inch alloy wheels, lowered sports suspension, perforated front brakes with AMG lettering, plus an AMG body kit comprising front and rear aprons and side skirts.

SAFETY

My personal favourite safety system activates every time you buckle up, and that's the belt tensioner system that 'tucks' you in before you set off.

There are also several advanced safety systems offered as options, such as active lane keeping assist, active blind spot assist, radar cruise control and adaptive high beam assist.

COMPETITORS
>> From Munich and Ingolstadt
The two main rivals for the Mercedes-'Benz C-Class Coupe are from BMW and Audi, in the form of the 3 Series Coupe and A5 Coupe respectively. Mercedes can expect to convert buyers from both vehicles with its svelte new design, while the entry-level price has the potential to bring in first-time 'Benz buyers too, while undercutting equivalent BMW and Audi models by around $10,000.

For the crux of the matter is this - the C-Class Coupe has a brilliant chassis, delivering not only good bang for your buck but letting you have your schnitzel and eat it too.

Punting around town, the C Coupe delivers the 'Benz trademark creamy-smooth ride we've come to expect - a ride quality that is almost without peer, ably soaking up all but the most extreme of ructions, cracks and undulations in the road. It's roomy for front seat occupants, and not bad for those in the rear, the boot is remarkably spacious and the seven-speed transmission fitted as standard is a good performer in stop-start traffic.

But let's not forget that this easy-to-live-with German car is a coupe, and coupes by their nature should be sporty.

For a long time Mercedes-'Benz has built well-engineered vehicles that cater to the more relaxed end of the market, and if you wanted a sporty model you'd have to dish out big bucks for an AMG. All that has changed with the C-Class Coupe, because this thing is almost unflappable through a corner.

To cut a long story short, the C-Class Coupe handles very nicely. It tips into corners predictably and is satisfying to drive hard and fast. It feels firmly planted on the road though there's not a huge amount of feedback through the steering wheel, the chassis is so well balanced it doesn't really matter. It's also astonishing the way the car soaks up mid-corner bumps, holding steadfast to its intended trajectory rather than slewing wide.

The resultant confidence this gives the driver through long stretches of twisting and turning bitumen is immense, and it's hugely entertaining to boot. The only aspect that isn't quite up to scratch are the brakes -- best described as good, opposed to great.

For mine the pick of the bunch was the C 180 Coupe. It feels almost as fast as the C 250 Coupe and has no trouble keeping up with its more powerful sibling. Perhaps the only downside is the four-cylinder petrol's monotonous engine note, a drone that doesn't do justice to the powerplant's refined and eager nature.

The C 250 CDI Coupe is a real sleeper, its 500Nm turbodiesel kick giving it excellent punch out of corners, but for mine the engine was too loud and rattly and not befitting of such a stylish coupe design.

At the top of the tree the C 350 Coupe is a real thrill to drive hard. It has the best engine note of the lot, a throaty (if somewhat subdued) acoustic that adds a gratifying amount of feedback every time you bury your right foot. It accelerates hard and has adequate machismo to lock horns with BMW's 335i, grinding out enough pepper to gently force its occupants into their cushy leather sports seats -- and like its siblings it's remarkably settled through corners, whether smooth or bumpy.

A couple of things that irritated me a little included cloying stability control (it intervenes early and lets go late) and a lack of oversteer. For rear-wheel drive sports cars the C-Class Coupes have a tendency to understeer. All in the name of safety I guess...

At the end of the day, I was thoroughly impressed with what Mercedes has crafted here. On one hand it's a traditional  Mercedes-Benz; an ideal daily driver that does everything you need. But on the other hand - and something that's not par for the course in Stuttgart - the C-Class Coupe can hustle with the best of them. It's such a rewarding car to drive fast you'll want to dial up the sat nav just to find more twisty roads.

From the lithe exterior to the well appointed, plush interior, this car ticks all the boxes, even the ones you didn't know you were looking to fill. As a sensibly-sized sports car, the C-Class Coupe is unmatched in its class - it's as simple as that.

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