Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe

What is it?
Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe

What's special about it?
For all those who love Mercedes the machine but can't stand Mercedes the paradigm of aged sedateness, here is a new, sporty coupe (really, it's a hatchback) whose sheetmetal, Mercedes hopes, will evoke the image of a crouching athlete on the verge of action. It is aimed at the youth market with touches like a sliding sunroof that opens a third larger than traditional sunroofs to get that ersatz convertible feeling. Unlike most coupes, however, there are full-size rear seats for your kid to take along all his lowlife friends to the Delta Tappa Kegga frat party.

The coupe isn't all about muscle and horsepower; in Europe its motivation is supplied by your choice of four inline fours; the 1.8-liter with 129 horses, the supercharged 2.0-liter with 163 horses, the 2.2 direct-injection diesel unit with 143 horses and the 2.3-liter powerplant with 197 horsepower. North America is likely to get only the supercharged engine.

The C-Coupe is about 18cm shorter and 2cm lower than the C-Class Sedan to achieve a sporty look. A tall rear end equipped with an integrated spoiler helps, but can't disguise the fact that this is really a hatchback. Mercedes considerately addressed the common issue of hampered rearward visibility by installing a glass window between the rear taillamps, like the fabled Honda CRX. With the rear looking like a cross between the Saab 9-5 Aero and the ill-fated 318ti, this youthful model certainly stands out from the rest of Mercedes' sedate brood.

The six-speed manual gearbox would probably be the most fitting for this car, but even equipped with the optional six-speed one-touch automanual, the term "slushbox" may become defunct.

Why should you care?
No one, not even snot-nosed younguns, is safe from the clutches of Mercedes' reach. But BMW didn't find huge success with its 3 Series hatch in America, so we wonder why the good folks in Stuttgart believe they can make a go of it. Although young kids may opt for the lower-priced sport coupes, most of those who are at a point in their lives that they can afford an MB would likely opt for something a little more practical and elegant. Perhaps there is an untapped market that reaches the young at heart but fat of wallet. However, we don't see a Benz hatchback selling particularly well in the States.
-- Liz Kim