In case you haven’t heard, Mercedes-Benz has dropped the CLK in favour of the E-Class Coupé. That is to say, there will be no cars called CLK in the new shape anymore. One might wonder why such a successful badge was replaced. The move is part of Mercedes-Benz’s realignment of its image. Soon enough we will not hear of the CL Coupé either but of an S-Class Coupé. Do you see the pattern?
The Benz is aligning its coupés with its flagship cars and doing away with the letter C. Why you might ask? Marketing of course. A top Mercedes-Benz executive in America explained it best when he said people are more willing to pay top dollar for a car called E-Class Coupé than for one called CLK because the C in CLK reminds them of the smaller C-Class. The same argument will apply when the S-Class Coupé debuts in a couple of years’ time. And now that the CLK is gone, does that mean there’s space for a new C-Class Coupé? You bet!
I was thinking about all this while driving the new E-Class Coupé over the flowing hills of KwaZulu Natal. By the way, while the car has E-Class badges all over it, it’s actually based on the smaller C-Class platform, which makes things even more curious. Anyway, Merc can call it what they like, it’s their car.
I call it “quite good actually”. The shorter wheelbase makes driving it that much more enjoyable. As a true two-door coupé it offers retractable side windows with no B pillars and four seats. The front seats are fitted with electronically adjustable seats which can be optionally fitted with active ventilation.
Only two engines and models will be available at this point. At the base there’s an E350 Coupé with a 3.5-litre V6 engine underneath it. It’s naturally aspirated, unlike the upcoming 3.5-litre V6 twin turbo that will make around 350kW. At 200kW the E350 Coupé cannot be accused of being a slouch. Couple that with its 350Nm made between 2400rpm and 5000rpm and you have a capable coupé with grunt to match.
The flagship E500 Coupé has a 5.5-litre naturally aspirated V8. It produces 285kW and 530Nm within a narrow band of between 2800rpm and 4800rpm. Both models come standard with the AGILITY Pack which automatically adjusts the suspension to match prevailing road conditions.
Other safety goodies include ATTENTION ASSIST and PRE-SAFE which were explained with the E-Class sedan last week. Scooter over there to refresh if you are lost. The Adaptive High beams with bi-xenon lights are said to increase visibility by up to 300 metres. Mercedes-Benz South Africa is, for the first time, giving customers the option of LED lights which up to now have been mainly the domain of Audi and to a lesser extent BMW and Porsche.
“The safety equipment of the new E-Class Coupé goes far beyond the demands of any legal requirements. The newest technologies for the best active and passive safety are available – including nearly all of the drive assistance systems that we have introduced in the sedan,” says Eckart Mayer, Divisional Manager, Mercedes-Benz Cars South Africa.
To this end the car has seven air bags for example, crumple zones, ABS with EBD and other safety measures. Standard wheels are 18-inch alloy types with 235/40 R 18 front tyres and 255/35 R 18 rear tyres.
Higher levels of comfort can be attained from interior equipment such as the CD player, satellite navigation and the Music Register which can take up to about 1000 MP3 songs.
Sadly Merc is not planning an AMG version of the E-Class Coupé, save an AMG styling package that gives the look but not the engine. No one will say why this decision but I can certainly speculate. There basically will not be space for an E-Class Coupé AMG because Merc already has the four-seater CLS 63 AMG (new one coming in two years) and the E 63 AMG. Plus I think we will soon see a C-Class Coupé AMG which will sit alongside the C 63 AMG sedan and Estate. At least next year we’ll be able to see a convertible version.
Mercedes has done very well with this car in terms of design and package. Younger people may not quite “feel it” as it seems more geared towards the older set. But the latter will definitely love it.
E-Class Coupé pricing
E 350 Coupé R670 000
E 500 Coupé R820 000
