2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé : First Look

Jay Williams - 15/February/2011

Stuttgart, Germany - Mercedes-Benz will be unveiling a new C-Class Coupé at the Geneva Motor Show next month.

The new C-Class Coupé will come with a choice of three petrol engines and two diesel powerplants. All are equipped with direct injection and the ECO start/stop function as standard. All automatic versions feature the further-enhanced 7G -TRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic transmission (standard with the C 250 and C 350 petrol engines). The C 220 CDI and C 250 CDI diesel variants and the basic C 180 petrol engine come with a six-speed manual transmission as standard.

The top-of-th-range C 350 variant features a V6 petrol engine that delivers 225kW and 370Nm. Average fuel consumption is 6.8-litres per 100 km. The four-cylinder petrol engines have direct injection and are turbocharged.

The most economical coupé model is the C 220 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY with manual six-speed transmission and the standard ECO start/stop function. It has an average diesel consumption of 4.4-litres per 100 km. This corresponds to117 grams of CO2 per kilometre. The C 250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY contents itself with a combined diesel consumption of just 4.9 litres per 100 km, resulting in 128 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometre.

In terms of styling the new C-Class Coupé is quite compact in its proportions, with its low slung silhouette featuring a short front overhang, long bonnet, steeply raked windscreen and long, stretched out roof.

The dashboard instrument panel features three tube rings with a galvanised finish that demonstrate the car's sporty credentials to the driver. As standard, the coupé comes with the new generation of three-spoke steering wheel with its chromed central spoke that first appeared on the new CLS. The touch surfaces of the controls are also galvanised. The stepped top of the instrument cluster also accommodates the central display and continues onto the front passenger side as a discreet light-catching contour. The central, trapezoidal air vents and the round vents on the outside are highlighted in detail by galvanised trim. The control panel of the new-generation communication and information unit has silver-coloured keys. The combination of matt keys, high-gloss areas and a new thumbwheel design underlines the high perceived value of the interior.

A large section of trim is a high-quality part of the dashboard instrument panel. This extends from the centre air vents across the front passenger side to the outer air vent, emphasising the interior's generous proportions. For the first time in automotive engineering, the trim parts are available in the style package and in a porcelain piano-lacquer look for the Edition 1 to complement the car's exclusive interior feel. Alternatively there is a choice of a black piano-lacquer look, nougatine burr walnut wood, dark aluminium or brown ash burl.

The C-Class Coupé features a new telematics generation which received its global premiere on the saloon and estate models. Major new features include greater operating convenience, larger displays, phone book transfer, display of SMS messages, wireless music reproduction via Bluetooth and a USB interface now accommodated in the centre armrest.

The multimedia system COMAND Online now provides internet access for the first time. When the car is stationary, customers are able to browse freely or surf to a Mercedes-Benz Online service whose pages load particularly rapidly and are also easy to use while on the move. The integrated services include weather information and a special destination search via Google, as well as the option of downloading a route that has been previously configured on a PC using Google Maps and sent to the car. The navigation system of COMAND Online also has added functions. New features include a 3D display with plastic city views.Also new: routes covered can be recorded and repeated later, specific personal destinations can be saved or imported via an SD card and four alternative routes can be displayed on the navigation map, one of them a particularly economical variation.

The Becker MAP PILOT makes a low-cost navigation function, which can also be retrofitted, available for the entry-level Audio 20 CD radio. Its advantages over aftermarket solutions include integrated operation via the central controls and the Audio 20 display, a concealed location in the glove compartment and updating via an internet portal.

Australian customers can expect to see the2011 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé in the third quarter of the year, with pricing and official specifications announced closer to the release date.

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