Mercedes confirms new C-Class Coupe line-up

Mercedes-Benz has confirmed a four-model new-generation C-Class Coupe range for Australia that will rise in price and performance while cutting fuel consumption when they arrive here from March.

We covered key details of the new C-Class two-door ahead of its Frankfurt motor show debut here, leaving us to confirm the local line-up as the C 200, C 250 and C 300, which are powered by the now-familiar M274 direct-injection, Euro 6 emissions-compliant 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine in different states of tune, and the OM651 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel C 250d.

They replace the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol C 180, the 1.8-litre turbo-petrol C 250 Sport and the 3.5-litre naturally-aspirated V6 petrol C 350. The diesel is the only model in the range to have a carry-over engine, but it is also the only version to offer the new 9G-Tronic automatic transmission from launch as well.

The other models in the range all continue on with the 7G-TRONIC auto.

Around the same time, we get the stonking C 63 S coupe powered by a 4.0-litre biturbo V8 (see separate news story). The new-gen models not coming to Australia are the entry-level C 180, turbo-diesel C 220, forthcoming C 400 4MATIC turbo-petrol V6 and the slightly lesser 350kW version of the two 63s.

A two-door version of the C 450 AMG 4MATIC 3.0-litre twin-turbo is also on the way to fill the big hole between the C 300 and C 63 S, but it won’t get here until late next year – along with sedan and estate versions.

This is a significant delay from the original launch timing in Australia for all these C-class based versions of the new intermediate AMG Sport brand, which are tuned by Benz’s hot shop but do not have hand-built engines like the full-blown models.

But Mercedes-Benz Australia/Pacific Senior Manager of Public Relations, Product and Corporate Communications, David McCarthy, was coy about the reason for the delay, which is in addition to having to wait for production until after left-hand drive markets are satisfied.

“There are some things that car will have that if we had taken the car earlier it wouldn’t have them,” he said. “So we are waiting.”

McCarthy was also unable to provide definitive price guidance on the C-Class coupes, except to confirm they would be more expensive. However, as per the latest C-Class sedan they are based on, the new coupes will be in line for substantial equipment upgrades that should soften the blow.

“It will be higher (priced) than the old car across the range, but it will have a lot more kit … Its going to remain relative to the sedan,” he confirmed.

The current mainstream C-coupes are priced from $59,900 to $99,040. The rival BMW 4 Series sits in a range from $70,000 to $108,150 and the ageing Audi A5 coupe from $68,200 to $98,910.

Price rises when the latest C-Class sedan was launched were limited to around $1000, but new equipment included a suite of active safety equipment for the 250 and 300 dubbed the Driver Assistance Package PLUS package, which will flow on into the coupe.

Among other gear you can expect to see flow across include the Dynamic Select system that allows various characteristics of car behaviour to be adjusted, plus Head Up Display, collision prevention assist plus, ambient interior lighting throughout the cabin, DAB + digital radio, a power operated park brake and active parking assist.

The dashboard and touch points of the coupe interior will be very similar to the sedan, although the integrated front seats and two individual rear pews are new.

Model for model new C-coupes compare pretty well on outputs with their predecessors. The C 200 makes 135kW and 300Nm (+20kW and 50Nm), the 250 makes 155kW and 350Nm (+5kW and 40Nm). The diesel is unchanged at 150kW and 500Nm, while the 180kW/370Nm 300 – which has just debuted in Australia in the SLK sports car -- is down 45kW on the old 350 but matches it on torque.

All engines come with idle-stop and claimed fuel consumption averages are improved across the board; The C 200 claims 5.4L/100km while emitting 125g CO2/km (C180: 6.3/146), the new C 250 matches the 200 (6.9/160), while the C 300’s figures are 6.3/146 (7.9/184).

The C 250d drops from 5.1L/100km and 134g CO2/km to 4.2/109. The new car’s claims are based on the European NEDC cycle, which is copping a bit of flak at the moment, so as per usual treat those figures as a general guide rather than what you will see everyday.

Acceleration is also claimed to be improved. The C200’s 0-100km/h time is 7.3 sec, chopping a mammoth 1.2 sec for the claimed best by the old C 180; the C250 goes from 7.2 to 6.8 and the turbo-diesel from 7.1 to 6.7. The 300 is claimed to match the old 350 at 6.0

McCarthy said the 200’s performance boost was a big reason it had been chosen ahead of the180.

“The C 180 Coupe has done really well for us in terms of numbers previously, so the C 200 should take that over.

“One of the things people said on C180 was they wanted a bit more power. The C 180 was fine, but you had to drive it hard and that’s why we went with C 200.”

While the Australian new car market continues to diversify, McCarthy said he was confident the C-Class Coupe — something of a traditionalist with its two doors, four seats and boot rather than a hatch — would continue to eke out volume alongside the sedan, which is Australia’s most popular luxury car.

“There’s still life in it (the coupe segment),” he said. “It is worth a couple of hundred units per month. When you add all the C-Class variants together – coupe, sedan and wagon – it will be over 1000 sales per month. So that’s decent volume.”

This isn’t the end of the C-Class roll-out either, with a cabriolet scheduled to launch in 2016.