January 2016|TOPCAR.CO.ZA 27MERCEDES-BENZ C300 COUPE
R
ELAX, MERCEDES-BENZ’S
new coupe also comes in less
visu ally and mechanically potent
variet ies. Non-AMG models share
just doors, roof and bootlid; eve ry othe r
body panel is purposef ully more elegant.
Up front the three-pointed star sits
within a sea of ch rome-tipped ‘diamonds’
ensuringit won’t be mistaken for anything
else. Voluptuous curves and graceful
proportions plus a pleasingly less droopy
side crease line and an S-Class coupe-
mimickin g rear end combinebeautifully.
In current Benz fash ion, AMG Line
exterior and interior styling packages
are available for those of a sportier
bent. Front occupants familia r with th e
current C-Cl ass will feel ri ght at home,
revelling in a cock pit design that, specced
appropriately, is a visu al an d tactile treat.
Longer and wide r than its pred ecessor,
the new coupe also rides on an 80mm-
longer wheelbasewhich provides a
welcomeboost to cabin space. Rear-
riders benefit from incr eased head and
elbo w room. They’ll also appreciate Merc’s
Airmatic air susp ension, an unusual
option in thi s class that raises the coupe’s
ride quality from comfortably competitive
to impeccable. A short driv e into the
hills near Malaga, Spain reinforced the
C-Cl ass Coupe’s key positives of a supple
ride, co-operative steering and fluent
handlingcharacteristics. It’s sporty
enough withou t everbeing tiresome in its
demands. About the only quibble isthe
pronounced wind noise ar ound the front
pillars at speed. Easily drowned out by
the superb thou gh optional Burmester
audiosystem.
The local launch lin e-up comprises two
petrol-drinkingmodels – both 2.0-litr e
turbo units – and a C220d powered by
Merc’s torquey 2.1-litr e turbodiesel mill.
All th ree, along with th e two V8-enginedAMGs, land this March.
We trie d the C300, a 180kW version
of th e 2.0-litr e turbo four th at offers
plenty of th rust but perhaps too much
enthusiasm with an uninspiring engine
note whenextendedthat descends into a
monotone drone during sustained bouts
of acceleration. There’s no doubt a less-
stressed six would better suit this car, if
only to boost refinement higher up therev
range. Driven with less verve, as it more
than likely will be, it’s a fine motor that
delivers strong early- to mid-range punc h
and promises not toquaff its unleaded
reserves too quickly.
As with thesedan, the coupe can be had
with an arrayof semi-autonomous driv er
aids that on our test car inclu ded activ e
steering assistance in conjunction with
lane keeping. Along with adaptive cruise
contro l, this allows multi-lane highway
travel with minimal driv er input as the
car steers and maintains a fixed gap to
the vehicle ahead. You can’t yet get in th e
back and take a nap – a regulatory no-no- but that scenario is not far off.
Prices start from R529900 for the
135kW/300Nm C200 rising to R634900
for the C300. A C220d will set you back
R569900 plus anextra R49k for the
desirable Edition 1 package with its
gorgeous (or is that adventurou s?)
interior colour combination of nu t
brown and black upholstery with
turquoise topstitching.tc
The tamer siblings
Mercedes-AMG C63 S Coupe
PriceR1 33 7 931>Engine3 982cc, 32v, V8Biturbo
375kW @ 5 50 0-6 250rpm, 70 0Nm @ 1750-4 500rpm
Transmission7-speed automatic, RWD
SuspensionMulti-link frontandrear, 3-stage
dampers>Performance0-100kph in 3.9sec,
250kph (limited), 8.9ℓ/100km, 209gCO 2 /km
Length/Width/Height4 767/1 832/1 456mm
Kerbweight1 725kg>On saleMarch 2016
Carbonfibrepackagesadda racy
edge. AMGDynamic Selecttoggle
switchwillbewell used.Floor it
andthe needlestruggles tokeep
up. Madashatters Edition 1:see
youatthe nextbigtunershow
Arrestingelegancedusted
witha pinchofAMGspiceMercedes-Benz C-Class C300 Coupe
>PriceR638 69 6 >Engine1991cc, 16v, 4cyl turbo
180kW @ 5 50 0rpm,370Nm @ 1 30 0-4 000rpm
>Transmissio7-speed automatic, RWD
>SuspensionMulti-link frontandrear, optional
airsprings>Performance0-100kph in 6.0sec,
250kph, 6.8ℓ/100km, 157gCO2/km
>Length/Width/Height4 686/1 810/1 405mm
>Kerbweight1 490kg>On saleMar 20 16