Compared with the previous Sports Coupé, the Mercedes engineers have newly developed or enhanced over 1100 components.

The sporty appearance of the new CLC is underlined by the compact body dimensions and the muscular lines.

The Mercedes designers have completely redesigned the front and rear so that the Sports Coupé embodies the contemporary Mercedes design idiom with its distinctive coupé radiator grille featuring a large Mercedes star in the centre, and the new projection-beam headlamps.

The S-Class, the luxury CL-Class Coupé and the C-Class provided the stylistic models. The redesigned large tailgate conceals a variable boot with up to 1100 litres of luggage capacity.

The new tail lights, the long row of LEDs which make up the third brake light unit and the rear bumper subdivide the rear and emphasise its width.

The range of available engines includes four four-cylinder and two six-cylinder engines with power outputs ranging from 90 kW/122 hp to 200 kW/272 hp.

Fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 10.8 percent compared with the outgoing model. The six-speed manual transmission comes as standard with all engine variants.

Mercedes-Benz can also supply a five-speed automatic transmission for the four-cylinder units, and the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic transmission for the V6 models.

In combination with the sports package, the driver can use gearshift paddles on the steering wheel to select the gears of the automatic transmission manually.

A new direct-steer system offers a variable rack ratio which changes as a function of the steering angle so that the driver only has to turn the wheel slightly when cornering.

Above: the outcoming model - Mercedes-Benz C320 Sport Coupe (2004)

The new CLC is the successor to a successful Mercedes model that boasts some 320,000 drivers around the world to its name since 2001.

The majority of these were new customers and about 70 percent of them decided to buy a larger Mercedes model after the Sports Coupé.

The Mercedes-Benz CLC will go on sale in June 2008.

Exterior Design

The Sports Coupé bears the typical family traits of the well-known, established coupé members, including the luxury CL Coupé, the four-door CLS and the CLK.

The front design is characterized by the wide radiator grille, the centrally located Mercedes star, the projection-beam headlamps extending well into the front wings and the bumper featuring a large air inlet.

One typical feature of the contemporary Mercedes design idiom is the arrow shape of the front end - a styling cue that emphasises forward motion and agility.

The front design of the new Sports Coupé embraces this hallmark with a distinctive line, which begins at the bottom louvre of the radiator grille and extends along the whole hood, adding visual emphasis to the V-shape.

It then reappears at the rear end, divides up the spoiler and chrome trim strip and finally flows downwards into the bumper.

These lines, which interact harmoniously with the large, smooth surfaces, define the contemporary Mercedes design style. No extra flourishes, no superfluous embellishments and no design complexities. Instead you have clarity and calm.

The design idiom concentrates on what is important, thereby emphasising the intrinsic and functional beauty of things.

Even at first glance the new Sports Coupé comes across as a striking proposition, reinforced inside and out by numerous nods to the world of motor racing, such as the subtle side air intakes in the front bumper.

In the side view, the dominant upper edge of the wings underscores the wedge shape of the downward-slanting shoulder line, which combines at the rear with the upper edge of the tail lights.

Taken in conjunction with the gently sloping hood, the sweeping silhouette of the roof and the obliquely angled rear windscreen give rise to the wedge-shaped side view.

The allround chrome trim strips are an additional eye-catcher, particularly when combined with dark exterior paint finishes.

Left: from top to bottom: the silhouettes of the CLS, C-Class and CLC

At the rear, a spoiler integrated in the tailgate spans the entire width of the body in a gentle curve and - along with the redesigned, two-part tail lights – it extends with these flowing lines well forwards into the sides of the body, providing a visual link between the rear end and the flanks.

Spoiler, tail lights and bumper divide up the CLC rear end, emphasising its width and adding decisively to the car’s outstanding expressiveness.

The row of LEDs that makes up the third brake light unit and the chrome tailgate handle add further lustre, while the diffuser-look rear bumper is equally effective.

The sports package emphasises the character of the model by using different colours for certain body details: the inner surrounds of the headlamps are painted black, the radiator grille louvres are also in black, while the wide air intake in the
bumper is offset with its mesh-type grille in an elegant grey.

At the rear, the darkened covers on the tail lights and the third brake light unit as well as the oval stainless steel trim on the exhaust silencer catch the eye.

Interior

The interior of the new Mercedes-Benz CLC is oriented towards driving ergonomics, and is characterized by sports seats and a three-spoke multifunction sports steering wheel.

Three different upholstery colours are available: black, alpaca grey and, in the case of fabric upholstery, a stylish combination of black and red.

There is also a choice of black and alpaca grey for the optional leather interior. In addition, a cognac brown is available exclusively in conjunction with the sports package.

Standard specification features light brushed aluminium trim elements, while the sports package includes trim in darker aluminium.

Fine wood trim in black bird's-eye maple is offered as an optional.

An additional design element is the fine chrome strip that surrounds the aluminium surface. The two materials – chrome and aluminium – are formed and finished together.

(Source: Mercedes-Benz)