The Mercedes brand tends to evoke images of wealth and prestige. It is also a company with quite a bit of heritage under its belt, with founder Karl Benz having built the first motorized vehicle back in 1886. So the image of prestige is well deserved, especially when you consider the illustrious designs the car maker put on the road in the last half century: the 1952 300Sc, the iconic 300SL 'Gullwing' from the 1950s and the 230SL 'Pagode' from 1964. All of these Mercedes-Benz cars have one thing in common: they were coupés; highly emotional and expressive designs which drew attention to the driver sitting in the well-appointed and luxurious cockpit.
As the new entry-level coupé in the range, the new CLC sheds its C-Class nomenclature and becomes a new stand-alone model series; one that Mercedes hopes will attract a younger generation of buyers who value individualism, elegance and dynamism. But while the Stuttgart-based firm has sought to reinvigorate a model that sold 320,000 cars worldwide since its introduction in 2001, taking styling cues from the CL-Class, CLS and C-Class sedan in the process, the new CLC is not a significant departure from its predecessor.
Based on the same architecture as the C-Class Sport Coupé, the new car has nearly the same exterior dimensions, having grown 65mm longer in front and 44mm longer at the rear. Its wheelbase remains identical, at 2715mm, while the hood has been raised 20mm to accommodate new engines and to meet crash safety regulations. Other than the more prominent C-Class derived face - with darkened headlamps on Sport models - and a sharper beltline rising gradually toward the rear, we were hard pressed to see the differences. CDN spoke to Juergen Bollmann, Senior Manager and Program Manager for the new CLC (he was also responsible for the design of the A-Class, B-Class and C-Class sedan) who walked us around the car and pointed out the various design changes.
As the lines and surfaces are the two elements that determine contemporary Mercedes design, taut distinctive lines and edges combine with large smooth surfaces along the flanks to provide the structure. In the front section, wide louvers of the radiator grille join headlamps that extend the width of the car. The outside edges of radiator grille and bumpers are curved slightly rearwards to create a distinctive peak called the 'V-shape'. This is meant to emphasize the vehicle's agility and dynamism. At the outer edge of the front bumper are two non-functional brake cooling scoops, which further accentuate the coupé's width.
Bollmann explained how the lines in the lower section of the radiator rise upwards and over the hood to enhance the forward facing prominence. The line continues through a carved section around the side mirrors to improve aerodynamic efficiency and reduce wind noise. It then emerges again at the rear, where the width of the body is emphasized through the long narrow LED third brake light. A chrome strip below breaks up the height, now more obvious as there is no short window opening beneath the rear decklid. A diffuser nestled beneath the rear bumper, which was inspired by Formula 1, also shortens the height.
From the interior, the changes are even less apparent. The IP, center stack and every core A-surface remain identical to its forebear. Only the steering wheel, gearknob and gauge cluster (with needles that sweep over the speedometer and tachometer when they're first turned on) are new.
But with interior design and appointments increasingly important to buyers, particular attention was paid to color and trim in the new car. In speaking with Martin Bremer, Senior Manager for Color & Trim, CDN learned that the new 'cognac brown' leather interior (available exclusively in the Sport model) - adorned with black trim to add to the stylish ambience - was a hard sell at first. The color is meant to evoke the elegance of Italian design, but executives were less receptive and needed convincing.
Fabric seat covers are also available in black, grey and black with interwoven red yarn, alluding to the sporty nature of the car. Leather interior colors include black and alpaca grey. A chrome finish IP appliqué and bird's eye maple wood, newly available in the Sport Coupe, contributes to the elegance factor, while details such as the chrome strip around the hazard light switch, neatly separating it from the aluminum trim, are also a nice touch.
So the CLC does its best to diversify the coupé range and attract new customers to the brand. It remains a car with ‘high conquest potential', as younger buyers - 70 percent according to company figures - had never owned a Mercedes before purchasing the CLC's predecessor. And it is an important car for the firm as the loyalty index for the old car was quite high, with 65 percent of buyers opting for another Mercedes model when it came time to buy a new car.
But while the CLC is based on 'tried and trusted technology for comfort, safety and reliability', the first generation C-Class Sports Coupé was a direct response to BMW's 3 Series Compact, itself spurred by Audi's A3; a truncated model which was replaced by the new 1 Series. Now that the 1 has an all-new coupé version of its own, it seems to tick all the right boxes for the image-conscious affluent buyer.
Given the current contenders in the entry-level premium coupé segment, the competition vying for young style-conscious buyers is strong and the CLC doesn't move the game on enough. All the imagery of wealth and prestige may not reflect in the younger generation's eyes, and the heritage of the brand, no matter how great, will not be imparted through this model.
