First Drive: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C Class Coupe

Class C Coupé

Mercedes finally drops a "real" compact two-door By John LeBlanc SEVILLE, Spain - With a portfolio that now includes the E-Class Coupe, CLS four-door coupe and the full-size CL-Class two-door, it's understandable if you think Mercedes-Benz has gone a little, well, "coupe crazy." And now for 2012, the German automaker is adding another two-door to the fold, this time based on the recently refreshed C-Class. Mercedes entered the modern compact sedan segment with the 190 in the early 1980s. But as far as two-door offerings are concerned, the German automaker has always danced around offering a real compact coupe. Certainly, there was the CLK starting in '96, but in terms of price and demeanour, not to mention its E-Class-inspired lines, it targeted a more upscale clientele. As for the C-Class hatchback, it was positioned as more of an entry-level gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand than a coupe. Then there's the fact that neither were particularly engaging to drive or sporty. With little by the way of competition until more recent times, the BMW 3 Series Coupe earned the lion's share of this segment's sales, with the likes of the Audi A5, Cadillac CTS and Infiniti G37 coupes filling in the holes. Based on the existing C-Class sedan, the new coupe shouldn't really come as a shock. When Benz announced the E-Class Coupe for 2010, which itself is based on a stretched C-Class platform, it was obvious that a smaller offering would be on the way. When it goes on sale later this year in Canada, the C-Class Coupe will be offered in four and six-cylinder gasoline variants —both also available in the 2012 C-Class sedan and SLK roadster—plus the C 63 AMG that I also drove here in Spain, in both regular and the soon-to-be-introduced topline Black Series versions with a hand-built eight-cylinder. The base C250 Coupe will come with a 1.8-litre turbocharged four, making 201 hp and 229 lb.-ft. of torque. For those wanting a little more grunt, there's the recently upgraded 3.5-litre V6 (now with direct injection) which produces a competitive 302 hp and 273 lb.-ft. Both engines are mated exclusively to a seven-speed automatic transmission. Canadian fuel economy numbers aren't out yet, but expect them to be on par with the sedan. Pricing for the new C Coupe family will be released closer to the on-sale date this fall. Expect the C250 to start at around $40,000, with the V6 model commanding an extra $7-10,000. It's obvious the C Coupe shares a lot with its four-door sibling. Some may argue too much. Although the two don't share body panels, relative to more daring designs from Audi (A5), Cadillac (CTS) and Infiniti (G Coupe), the Mercedes is quite conservative, leaving it looking more like a two-door sedan than an actual coupe. Neither height nor length measurements stray far from the sedan. In fact, Mercedes officials brag that the C Coupe retains the same amount of trunk space as the sedan. Open either of its two doors, and you'll find the same interior updates that the sedan also received for 2012. Driver instrumentation is now found in a silver-finish tri-tunnel form with an information screen embedded into the centre floating-needle speedometer. Overall, the plastics are a bit softer, and the level of fit-and-finish is of a higher quality than pre-facelift models. Like its rivals, the new C-Class Coupes come in 2+2 form. Nevertheless, Mercedes says it's one of the most spacious cars in its class, with a sculpted rear headliner helping to gain some much needed extra headroom for rear occupants. Order the full-length panoramic roof, though, and the room required for the extra hardware negates that advantage. However, so long as occupants are less than 5'10", they'll be just fine. And Mercedes designers have managed to pull back the side glass aft of the B-pillars to allow light in and back seat riders a view out. Temperate weather and low-traffic, well-paved two-lane Spanish highways north of Seville allowed us to fully experience both the C250 and C350 Coupes. With their shorter wheelbases and reduced weight, the smaller C Coupes are much more alert and fun to drive than their larger and more patrician E Coupe models. Included as standard on all Canadian-market cars is the AMG Sport Package, which includes a sports steering wheel, paddles for manual shifting of the automatic gearbox, seven-spoke wheels, sports pedals, and a sports-tuned suspension that has stiffer springs and dampers, as well as beefier anti-roll bars. With more power and torque, it's no surprise that the V6-powered Coupe can sprint to 100 km/h in six seconds flat - 1.2 seconds faster than the four-cylinder C250. But if you're buying this coupe because you like to drive enthusiastically, the C250 might be the one to opt for. For starters, the C250 has a 65-kilo weight advantage, allowing it to jump into corners with more vim and vigour than the C350. And while it has a torque deficit of 44 lb.-ft., it arrives at 2,200 rpm as opposed to the 3,500 rpm of the C350. Because of this, the autobox changes gears more readily with the four—the six-cylinder model always felling like it was in the wrong gear. Plus Mercedes has tuned the 1.8 with a much raspier (translated: "sportier") exhaust note. We'd have to try the cars back-to-back, but our initial impressions suggest the 3 Series Coupe is still the more precise driving instrument, but the gap is shrinking. One of the big step forwards here is that Mercedes has struck a good balance between refinement and driving pleasure without any major compromises. Even with the sportiest of suspensions available, the ride is never harsh. That the C Coupe has arrived in good dynamic form is one thing, but it must fight an uphill battle against diverse rivals—ones can be had with manual transmissions, all-wheel drive, and with a convertible top. These are all points Mercedes-Benz should address to prevent buyers from slipping out of its hands. For now, though, the new 2012 C-Class Coupe marks a step in the right direction for the brand. It gives Mercedes a toehold in a class it avoided in the past, not to mention an option for customers who can't afford, or want a more nimble ride than the larger E-Class Coupe. 2012 Mercedes-Benz C250/350 Coupe WHAT I LIKED: Powerful and efficient four-cylinder; excellent refinement; spacious trunk WHAT I DIDN'T: Not as fun to drive as rivals; conservative styling; lack of manual transmission, all-wheel drive and convertible models Base price (est.): $40,000/$50,000 Type of vehicle: RWD, compact luxury coupe Engines: 1.8L, 16-valve, DOHC, I-4 turbocharged/3.5L, 24-valve, DOHC, V6 PowerTorque: 201/302 hp / 229273 lb.-ft. Transmission: Seven-speed automatic Fuel economy: N/A Competition: Audi A5/S5, BMW 3-Series Coupe, Cadillac CTS, Infiniti G37

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