Mercedes’ ageing CLK has been lagging behind the likes of the Audi A5 and BMW 3 Series Coupé. Now the Stuttgart firm looks set to even out the odds with its svelte E-Class Coupé.
By Gareth Dean
Mercedes-Benz has finally revealed the model with which it intends to go full-circle and revive the CE badge ahead of its Geneva Motor Show next month.
The E-Class Coupé lifts a number of styling elements from the 2010 E-Class saloon; specifically the wedge-profile of the nose with its quartet of angular headlamps, strong character lines on the flanks and bonnet, and the arcing roofline. There are also a number of welcome cues drawn from the previous CLK, such as the pillar-less side glasshouse with fully retractable windows. The design not only looks the business, but it also gives the E-Class Coupé an impressive drag coefficient of just 0.24Cd – a figure that is comparable with cars like the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Volt.
The interior has been lifted, almost wholesale, from the E-Class and features model-exclusive sports seats and trim configurations.
The engine line-up comprises four-, six-, and eight-cylinder powerplants with outputs ranging from 150 kW to 285 kW. The four-cylinder units utilise direct fuel injection to generate greater power and torque than the six-cylinder units in the CLK, despite their smaller displacement.
The entry-level powerplant is a four-cylinder petrol unit developing 150 kW and 310 N.m of torque. It is joined by the E250 CDI’s four-cylinder common-rail diesel, which also develops 150 kW and a stump-pulling 500 N.m of torque whilst returning a remarkable 5,3-litres/100 km. Moving up the scale, we’ll see a six-cylinder oil-burner in the guise of the 170 kW/540 N.m E350 CDI, the 215 kW/365 N.m gasoline direct-injection E350 CGI, and the range-topping E500, with its 5,5-litre V8 developing 285 kW and 530 N.m of torque. An AMG model featuring a 373 kW powerplant will emerge later in the year.
The E-Class Coupé will play host to Mercedes’ Agility Control active suspension system, which automatically adjusts the firmness of the suspension given the driving conditions. Agility Control can also be overridden via a user-controllable selective damper setting called Dynamic Driving. There are also a number of innovative safety features making an appearance on this model, including a drowsiness detection warning system, a pop-up bonnet, road sign recognition, automatic emergency braking, and adaptive self-dimming headlights.
The E-Class Coupé will go on sale in Europe in May, when we will get a better idea of just how much of a dent this model will put in Munich- and Ingolstadt-based offerings.
