Mercedes CLC

By Ben Pulman

First official pictures

27 January 2008 18:00

This is Mercedes’ new CLC, only it's not quite so new. Underneath it’s really the old Sports Coupe with a nose from the C-class grafted on to give it more modern engines and help it pass the latest crash regulations. In fact, the new CLC has exactly the same wheelbase (2715mm) as the old Sports Coupe, and the same size boot.

I don’t get it. Why not base the CLC on the new C-class?

Money. To the accountants at Stuttgart it made more sense to heavily revise the current car rather than to start afresh. That doesn’t mean the engineers haven’t been hard at work though: Merc claims over 1100 parts on the CLC are new or revised compared to the old car.

Merc was never going to stop making the Sports Coupe. Over 320,000 have found homes since 2001, and with over 70 percent of cars sold being conquest sales, and then over two-thirds of Sports Coupe buyers sticking with the Mercedes brand it’s a car Stuttgart cannot afford to be without.

So what’s good about the new CLC?

The new front end and the new styling. Out go the quad-headlamps, in comes sharp, jutting, solid lines to give the CLC the C-class family look. And that new front end means the latest engines and gearboxes. The engine line-up is:

Diesel

CLC 200 CDI 2.2-litre 120bhp/199lb ft
CLC 220 CDI 2.2-litre 148bhp/251lb ft

Petrol

CLC 180K 1.8-litre 141bhp/170lb ft
CLC 200K 1.8-litre 181bhp/184lb ft
CLC 230 2.5-litre 201bhp/180lb ft
CLC 350 3.5-litre 268bhp/258lb ft

All CLCs come as standard with a six-speed manual, but a five-speed auto is optional on the four-cylinder cars, a seven-speed auto can be had with the CLC 230, and it’s standard on the CLC 350.

So what’s bad about the CLC then?

The new car keeps the old car’s interior dash architecture, and many of the same materials. Thus the quality is nothing like that of the latest C-class, and is not much of a step forward compared to the current car either. The dial for the lights, and the buttons below the central air vents seem especially cheap. Has Mercedes not seen the BMW 1-series Coupe?

But despite the old architecture you do get new electronics. The CLC can now be had with a USB and iPod interface, and the standard leather-covered multifunctional steering wheel lets you scroll through your iPod’s tracks which are displayed on the colour screen. The new Comand multimedia system also offers hard-disk sat-nav for faster operation, while ESP and front and rear parking sensors are standard on all cars.

Anything else?

We’ll let you decide about the overall styling. Mercedes says S, CL and C-class provided the influence for the designers, but we can’t help noticing a little B-class in the rear lights. That third brakes light is made of LEDs incidentally, and underneath that hatchback rear door is a boot that can hold up to 1100 litres, the same as the current car’s maximum capacity.

The CLC will be available in SE or Sport guises. Sport adds 18-inch wheels, lowered suspension, and Merc’s new Direct-Steer speed-sensitive variable rack, and steering wheel-mounted paddles on automatic-equipped models. All CLCs are supposed to be sporty though, and as on the newly facelifted SL the needles on the dials make an exploratory sweep when they’re first turned on. The CLC will be in UK dealerships from June with prices expected to start from £21,000.

Mercedes SL facelift

By Ged Maxwell

First official pictures

23 January 2008 10:20

With inspiration apparently coming from the stunning 1954 Gullwing, this is Mercedes' facelifted SL. With a new entry-level engine, Merc's clever Airscarf system, and a different front end, this second and final facelift should see the SL through until the next decade.

That new nose is the most obvious change. The quad headlamps are replaced by twin CLS-style items, while the front grille is not only wider with a horizontal bar, but now sits proud of the bonnet too. The whole front end tapers to a point, creating a focal point, while the rear taillights are now smoked, a feature that had previously been reserved for AMG models of the SL.

Inspiration for further changes has been drawn from the original W198 Gullwing that was built from 1954 to 1957. The bonnet has a new powerdome (nee twin raised humps) and the revised air outlets behind the front wheelarches now feature vertical gills as opposed to the current horizontal strakes.

Are the changes drastic inside?

Not really. There’s the three-spoke steering wheel that first featured on the new C-class, a new Comand entertainment system and the Airscarf system from the SLK. The system blows hot air from the headrests to keep your neck warm when the clever folding metal roof is tucked away in the boot. Options will include Merc’s new Direct-Steer system already seen on the facelifted SLK and GLK concept, and the company’s ‘Inteligent Light System’.

What about the engines?

The big news for the UK is a new engine for the SL350, which lifts power from 268bhp to 311bhp. There’s a new SL280 but it won’t make it to the UK – the same is true of the new CLS280. The SL500, SL600 and SL65AMG continue as before, but the monstrously torquey, and much-loved SL55 AMG model looks set to be dropped. Expect it to be replaced by an SL63 AMG that CAR has been told will be this year’s Grand Prix safety car: we had hoped it might have been the SL Black but a Mercedes insider vehemently denied this.

CAR will have the full details of Merc's facelifted SL on 31 January, and be reporting live from Geneva in early March when the car has its motor show debut.

Mercedes CLS facelift

By Tim Pollard

First official pictures

18 January 2008 15:58

Merc has revised the unfaceliftable: the CLS four-door. Four years after launch, the unusual coupe/saloon gets a freshen-up and a new cheaper entry model – but it’s not coming to the UK.

Not that the CLS looks very different. The radiator grille has been tweaked and now has – count ’em – two bars instead of four. Big deal. The mirrors have gained new LED indicator repeaters, Merc has tidied up the rear apron, taillights and exhausts (now trapezoidal not oval)… and that’s about it. Thankfully, the CLS still looks drop-dead gorgeous.

Under the bonnet

More significant changes are under the bonnet of the revised model. The new entry-level model is the CLS280, a 3.0-litre V6 mustering 228bhp – enough for a 7.7sec sprint to 62mph and, more importantly, an average economy of 31mpg. Sadly, the UK isn’t taking the 280, as so many buyers pick the diesel over here. Other engines remain unchanged; all have the seven-speed auto 7G-Tronic auto transmission as standard.

The full engine line-up is:

CLS280, 228bhp 3.0 V6
CLS350 CGI, 288bhp 3.5 V6
CLS500 V8, 383bhp 5.5 V8
CLS63 AMG, 507bhp 6.3 V8
CLS320 CDI, 221bhp 3.0 V6 TD

Mercedes CLS: an inside job

The interior has a new three-spoke steering wheel and redesigned instruments with white dials, while the telematics system is upgraded with extra functionality for the modern man’s army of gadgets.

Prices haven’t been fixed yet, but we expect them to rise slightly in the UK, along with a corresponding rise in equipment. The new CLS280 starter model we’re denied costs £2500 less than the diesel on the Continent – pointing to a £41,000 starting price.