Mercedes CLC targets a younger, sportier market
21/08/08 13:35 Filed in: Road
tests
Mercedes-Benz has clearly tried hard to appeal
to a younger, sportier with the launch of the new CLC. I say new,
because the CLC only arrived in UK showrooms on June 12. It bears
sharp new looks to align with the new C Series, although the
underpinnings are substantially those of the previous SC.
The result is a neat and appealing design that is unmistakably a Mercedes-Benz, but which also projects a youthful, sporting coupé style. This goes deeper than the looks. This is one of the tautest, most rewarding Mercedes-Benz mainstream models I have ever driven. It's as if some key men from BMW had escaped in the dead of night and gone down the road to the Mercedes-Benz HQ in Stuttgart.
The Mercedes-Benz CLC is at home on the B-roads
The first surprise is the steering, which feels heavier than on previous Mercedes-Benz models. But after that initial surprise, you find that weight varies according to the conditions and I felt it struck just the right balance. Deservedly "direct steering with variable ratio rack" is one of the headline items Mercedes-Benz flag up in their press material for the CLC.
My test car was the Mercedes-Benz CLC 220 CDI SE. With its 150 bhp 2.1-litre diesel engine mated to the optional five-speed automatic this was never going to be the high performance option in the range. However it performs well enough to satisfy most drivers. Typically for a diesel, it feels quicker than the rather false 0-62 mph yardstick of 11.1 seconds might suggest.
Unusually the automatic version is credited as being two-tenths of a second quicker on this dash, but it doesn't produce as good a fuel consumption as the manual. However, having tried to juggle hill starts in the past on a manual car with a foot-operated parking brake, I would say the auto box is one option you really should tick straight away.
The nicely-furnished "office"
Fuel consumption, in any case, is still a strength on the auto CLC. You can hardly complain about a Mercedes-Benz that consistently completed my daily commute somewhere between 38 and 40 mpg. Yes, the diesel does make its presence known when starting from cold, with a bit of the familiar mechanical clatter under the bonnet. But, once you are out on the open road it becomes so subdued it is soon forgotten.
Whereas many Mercedes-Benz cars that I have driven in the past have excelled on motorways, but felt not so much at ease on twisty by-ways, the CLC absolutely loves B roads. A large part of this is down to that nicely weighted steering that offers precise positioning on the road, feels good and complements the inherent rear-wheel-drive balance. It hugs the road with minimal roll on the corners.
Space for passengers is good in the front and, thanks to a double folding seat base, access to the rear seats is easier than on many other coupés. The boot is good and spacious, but the coupé style means that the rear window is a bit restricted. You have little hope of seeing the bonnet of the car behind when reverse parking. Thank goodness for the parking sensors - just as well they are standard!
The rear window is quite high, making visibility out the back a bit restricted
While we are getting the negatives out of the way. I have already stated my lack of love for the foot-operated parking brakes so beloved on the other side of the Atlantic and in the product design corridors of Stuttgart. I also rather wish Mercedes-Benz would go with the mainstream of two column stalks, rather than packing everything onto one. The final quibble is that I would rather have the more conventional back and forward manual shift movement on the gear selector – or, better still – racing-style paddles behind the steering wheel.
These are relatively minor points, however. Generally I was very taken with the CLC.
It is certainly the most enjoyable small Mercedes-Benz I have driven. At £22,260 (or £23,310 with the automatic gearbox) it is also quite competitively priced at just £400 more than one of its most obvious competitors – the BMW 120d Coupe.
The result is a neat and appealing design that is unmistakably a Mercedes-Benz, but which also projects a youthful, sporting coupé style. This goes deeper than the looks. This is one of the tautest, most rewarding Mercedes-Benz mainstream models I have ever driven. It's as if some key men from BMW had escaped in the dead of night and gone down the road to the Mercedes-Benz HQ in Stuttgart.
The Mercedes-Benz CLC is at home on the B-roads
The first surprise is the steering, which feels heavier than on previous Mercedes-Benz models. But after that initial surprise, you find that weight varies according to the conditions and I felt it struck just the right balance. Deservedly "direct steering with variable ratio rack" is one of the headline items Mercedes-Benz flag up in their press material for the CLC.
My test car was the Mercedes-Benz CLC 220 CDI SE. With its 150 bhp 2.1-litre diesel engine mated to the optional five-speed automatic this was never going to be the high performance option in the range. However it performs well enough to satisfy most drivers. Typically for a diesel, it feels quicker than the rather false 0-62 mph yardstick of 11.1 seconds might suggest.
Unusually the automatic version is credited as being two-tenths of a second quicker on this dash, but it doesn't produce as good a fuel consumption as the manual. However, having tried to juggle hill starts in the past on a manual car with a foot-operated parking brake, I would say the auto box is one option you really should tick straight away.
The nicely-furnished "office"
Fuel consumption, in any case, is still a strength on the auto CLC. You can hardly complain about a Mercedes-Benz that consistently completed my daily commute somewhere between 38 and 40 mpg. Yes, the diesel does make its presence known when starting from cold, with a bit of the familiar mechanical clatter under the bonnet. But, once you are out on the open road it becomes so subdued it is soon forgotten.
Whereas many Mercedes-Benz cars that I have driven in the past have excelled on motorways, but felt not so much at ease on twisty by-ways, the CLC absolutely loves B roads. A large part of this is down to that nicely weighted steering that offers precise positioning on the road, feels good and complements the inherent rear-wheel-drive balance. It hugs the road with minimal roll on the corners.
Space for passengers is good in the front and, thanks to a double folding seat base, access to the rear seats is easier than on many other coupés. The boot is good and spacious, but the coupé style means that the rear window is a bit restricted. You have little hope of seeing the bonnet of the car behind when reverse parking. Thank goodness for the parking sensors - just as well they are standard!
The rear window is quite high, making visibility out the back a bit restricted
While we are getting the negatives out of the way. I have already stated my lack of love for the foot-operated parking brakes so beloved on the other side of the Atlantic and in the product design corridors of Stuttgart. I also rather wish Mercedes-Benz would go with the mainstream of two column stalks, rather than packing everything onto one. The final quibble is that I would rather have the more conventional back and forward manual shift movement on the gear selector – or, better still – racing-style paddles behind the steering wheel.
These are relatively minor points, however. Generally I was very taken with the CLC.
It is certainly the most enjoyable small Mercedes-Benz I have driven. At £22,260 (or £23,310 with the automatic gearbox) it is also quite competitively priced at just £400 more than one of its most obvious competitors – the BMW 120d Coupe.