Finally the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe has the looks that it deserves. The previous C-Class coupes, the Sportcoupe and the CLC just looked a bit funny to my eye. With the shortened rear end they looked more like a C-Class hatchback than a real coupe. Luckily, things are very much different with this new Coupe. The designers have finally found the right portions for the car and created a coupe that clearly looks better than the sedan. The old names have also been dumped and the new car is called simply C-Class Coupe.
The C-Class sedan and wagon models were refreshed previously and the Coupe shares the same front end basic styling as the latest C-Class. There are some minor differences in the radiator grille, front bumber and the air intakes to make it a bit more special. The side air intakes in the front bumper feature integrated, horizontal daytime running lights, which are positioned low down. The roof flows beyond the rear axle and the rear window is quite big. There is a short boot lid and a separate cargo space, just like in the sedan model. Tail lights are positioned as far apart as possible to emphasise the width of the car.
To make it look even more special, you can have the AMG Sports package. It includes the AMG Styling package with the new front apron, side sill panels and rear apron and the AMG seven-spoke light-alloy wheels. The driving enjoyment is improved with the lowered sports suspension and speed-sensitive sports steering. And if you have ordered your Coupe with an automatic transmission, three are shift paddles on the steering wheel that comes with the AMG Sports package. For the interior you also get the three-spoke multifunction sports steering wheel with flattened bottom section and sports pedals in brushed stainless steel with rubber studs.
For the new C-Class Coupe there are three petrol and two diesel engines available. Four of these are 4-cylinders and one is a V6. All the engines are equipped with direct injection and the ECO start/stop function as standard. The petrol variants are C 180, C 250 and C 350. We drove the C 250, which has a 4-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1796cc. So the displacement is the same as in the C 180. Both of these four-cylinder petrol engines are turbocharged. This C 250 produces 204 horsepower and 310 Newton metres og torque. The performance is reasonably good, acceleration from zero to a hundred km/h takes 7.2 seconds and the top speed is 240 km/h. But as the car looks this sporty, you could hope for even more power. However, these new Mercedes power sources are nicely efficient. The avarage fuel consumption for this C 250 is 7.0 litres per 100 kilometres and the CO2 emissions are only 163 g/km.
All engines are available with the new 7G-TRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic transmission, which is standard on the C 250. The latest evolution of the 7G-TRONIC automatic transmission with the additional PLUS designation has been enhanced in terms of fuel consumption and it shows. Sometimes it felt like the transmission was more interested in keeping the revs down than providing the acceleration that the driver wanted. Finally, when you give it enough throttle, it quickly drops a few gears down to maximise the acceleration. I kind of liked the old one better, when the transmission quite easily dropped one gear down, without the need to push it first. However, there is always a chance to change gears yourself with the manual mode. And with the AMG Sports package, there are also the shift paddles on the steering wheel to make it even more fun. The four-cylinder petrol engines come as standard with a modified sport-exhaust system, which sounds quite nice when accelerating. Therefore you sometimes end up playing with the gears just to hear the exhaust sounds with the higher revs.
Specification
Engine
- Petrol
- 4-cylinder
- 1796cc
- turbocharger
Power
- 150 kW (204 hp) / 5500rpm
Torque
- 310Nm / 2300rpm
Transmission
- 7-speed automatic
- RWD
0-100km/h / 0-62mph
- 7.2 seconds
Top speed
- 240 km/h
Fuel consumption
- 7.0 l/100km
CO2 emissions
- 163 g/km
