It’s just as important to note that all three – the SL, CLK and E-Class – play the high-tech card aggressively. Huge past investment into electronic safety and driving aids is starting to pay off as these once science-fiction like systems are increasingly found on Mercedes production cars. Yes, the three-pointed star is on the offensive and leaving no gaps for its
rivals.
The first of the new trio to reach local shores is the CLK, tested here in 500 guise. The previous generation CLK has done well for Mercedes-Benz. Introduced in 1997, more than 230 000 units have been sold. On a premium-priced product such as this, that’s a huge
number, so the CLK certainly fills an important slot for the company.
From a distance, the new car does not look much different from any other relatively recent Mercedes-Benz. But, closer up, the swoopy new look, very much reminiscent of the latest SL and dramatic forthcoming SLR, resulted in our test car receiving some severe rubber-necking from fellow road-users. If you have trouble making new acquaintances, the CLK will certainly help…
That said, some of our team felt that the shape needed a touch more drama. Others commented on the Volvo C70-like rear end. But it’s certainly pretty. And stylish. Compared with its predecessor, the new car is 71 mm longer, 18 mm wider and 42 mm higher. Wheelbase has been extended by 25 mm and now stands at 1 715 mm. Although the new body disguises the increased dimensions, interior space has benefited significantly. Headroom is up by 24 mm in front and 12 mm in the back, and rear passenger knee room is up by a substantial 40 mm.
As a result, comfort levels are much improved, not that this was much of a problem before. Access is made simple by large, wide-opening doors and front seats that slide and lift forward with ease.
The rear of the cabin is tailored for two, with the centre of the bench being reserved for a hollowed out oddments tray of just the right size for the car’s massive owner’s manual. A centre fold-out armrest, with drinks holders, is also provided. Separate air-vents for the rear passengers are located between the front seats. Rear seatbacks are split asymmetrically and can be folded forward to increase utility space. For a coupé, the 304 dm3 boot is usefully large and total utility space grows to 824 dm3 with the seats folded.
In front, the completely new facia follows the style set by the exterior.
It is classy, somewhat restrained, but full of neat design touches that don’t immediately stand out. Smart oval air vents with chrome surrounds, and the high-tech instrument cluster illustrate
the attention to detail. A drinks holder so effectively camouflaged you’d never guess it is there, pops out next to the glove compartment.
Instrumentation comprises a large central speedo flanked by an analogue clock and rev counter. Giving the car an extra bit of space-age feel are the cascading fuel and temperature gauges on the side. Both are made up of digital horizontal bars that appear or disappear as the fuel level goes down or the temperature goes up. The centre of the speedo also doubles as a data display and can be switched between programmes (from radio, Distronic, fuel economy etc) using buttons on the steering wheel.
The hangdown section is trimmed in wood – as are
sections of the steering wheel and inlays on the doors – and houses the majority of the switches and controls. From the vast array of buttons it is understandable why BMW developed the iDrive system, but worryingly for them perhaps, the buttons on the Merc work just fine. You only really have to use something once or twice to know where it is. It’s not perfect though. The driver’s right knee sometimes grazes the electric seat controls on the doors, and it’s also easy to accidentally activate cruise control by knocking the column mounted stalk behind the steering wheel. But these are minor niggles.
A couple of years ago, Mercedes-Benz was criticised for what was perceived to be slipping quality levels. It’s certainly not true of the new CLK – the car having the ‘solid as the German Bundesbank’ feel the three-pointed star has long stood for. The only slight glitch seems to be the lid of the glove compartment, which, at times, was difficult to close.
As expected of a car costing R605 000, the standard equipment list is a long one. In fact, a full run-down would leave us with little space to comment on the car. Thermotronik climate control, bi-xenon headlamps with cleaning system, Bose sound system, heated front seats, Comand navigation system (that twice in overcast conditions gave incorrect directions), Speedtronic cruise control, central locking, brake pad wear indicator, multifunction steering wheel, rain sensor, power windows all round, folding rear view mirrors, memory for seats, steering wheel and exterior mirrors are but a small selection. Optional extras included on our test unit were; TV tuner (R7 200), Distronic ‘intelligent’ cruise control (R17 800), Linguatronic voice control (R3 500), Parktronic (R6 500), electric sunroof (R8 000) and Keyless-Go (R10 500).
The full armament of safety equipment is a given with any top-end Mercedes. The CLK 500 features ESP (Electronic Stability Programme), BAS (Emergency Brake Assist), ASR (Acceleration Skid Control), ABS, dual front and side airbags, window and rear side airbags, belt force tensioners and force limiters. Motivating power – all 225 kW of it – is developed at 5 600 r/min by one of the finest production engines of the
moment, Mercedes-Benz’s five-litre V8. Torque is a thumping 460 N.m, available all the way from 2 700 to 4 250 r/min. The job of transmitting power to the rear wheels is left to a five-speed automatic ‘Touchshift’ gearbox (with winter and
standard settings), which allows the driver to select ‘manual’ shifting by tapping the lever to the sides to either shift up or down. The CLK is, at just over 1,6 tonnes, a heavy car, but
the brawny V8 gets it going deceptively quickly.
We clocked a best of 6,1 seconds in our benchmark zero to 100 km/h acceleration test. But far more impressive is the car’s overtaking acceleration ability. As an example, 80 to 100 km/h happens in 1,73 seconds and 120 to 140 in 2,6 sec. That’s quick by any measure. And the CLK 500 continues
accelerating right up to 250 km/h, where the electronic limiter will gently cut in. This being a high-performance vehicle, powered by a beefy V8, fuel economy is unlikely to be its strongest point. That said, the achieved fuel index figure of 12,77 litres per 100 km is better than expected.
So, then. It has ample firepower and lots of electronic wizardry to keep it pointing in the right direction. How good is it to drive? With optional Keyless-Go fitted, there’s no need to take the key out of your pocket. Touch the door handle and the car recognises the key and unlocks the doors. The seats are snug, quite heavily bolstered, but were judged to be comfortable and supportive by all testers. With the key still in the pocket and foot on the brake pedal, pushing a button on top of the gear lever will start the car. Windows closed, the V8’s sound is muted at idle, but anywhere else it has a deliciously meaty growl that is a clear indication of what is to come. Slide the lever down into D, de-activate the foot-operated parking brake and you’re ready to roll. Quickly.
The character of the CLK 500 is very much one of a fast luxury cruiser. Compliant suspension gives a supple ride, and the atmosphere in the car is so relaxed that the driver tends to feel isolated from the hustle and bustle going on outside the cabin. Road and wind noise is largely absent. Only the engine makes its presence known. For the ultimate in relaxed cruising, the optional Distronic enables the CLK to adapt its cruising speed to the vehicle in front. It’ll brake and accelerate to keep the preset following distance all on its own, allowing the driver to concentrate on the steering. Talking of which, steering feel is good – an effective compromise between sensitivity and Teutonic heaviness.
If the CLK comes across as a bit of a big softie so far, then be prepared to meet the other side of its split personality. Push the throttle pedal towards the floor with any sort of above-average force, and the resultant surge will be a pretty good imitation of jet propulsion. At times, the gearbox is not quite fast enough to be in sync with your intentions as it takes a few milliseconds to figure out exactly what you want – almost as if the car is filling its lungs
before streaking away. The enormous thrust makes for effortless performance – one tester commenting that it ‘sucks the headlights out of cars behind.’
As mentioned earlier, the CLK 500 comes with a full array of electronic safety features. Obviously, those drivers looking for an undiluted ‘sweaty palmed’ ride are likely to be disappointed to some extent with the electronic ‘nanny’ keeping an eye on proceedings, but, although ESP can be switched out, the overriding majority of drivers will be able to have enough fun with these systems active. Then only bizarrely silly manoeuvres will see you get into any kind of trouble. The car feels phenomenally planted around corners – the only indication that you’re driving very fast being the flickering ESP light on the dash.
Impressive stuff certainly, but not always very involving. And on B-roads it can be a handful, largely because you’re almost always going faster than you think you are.
Braking power is provided by 345 mm ventilated discs in front, and 300 mm discs, also ventilated, at the back. In our ten-emergency-stop-test, the CLK failed to break the 3,0
second barrier, but the average of 3,13 is still good. The brakes were impressively consistent though, with no sign of fade.