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Merc coupÉ. Image by Max Earey.

Merc coupÉ
Out goes the CLK and in with the new E-Class Coupé. If it's half as impressive as the saloon you should get your deposit down.

   



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| First Drive | Tuscany, Italy | Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé |

Mercedes-Benz's replacement for the CLK coupé takes more than just its name from the company's most important four-door saloon. When we drove that car in March we concluded that the overwhelming list of new technology and safety systems were well, overwhelming. Cutting edge as it all is - and undoubtedly useful when you need it most - we found it quite distracting. We're hoping that the Coupé diverts our attention in other ways.

In the Metal

The most honest thing I can say about the new Coupé is that it's a very interesting design. That's not to damn it with faint praise, you understand, it's just that it can't be described as simply beautiful or ugly and it certainly is not dull. Mercedes obviously asked its designers to pen a shape that aims to be more elegant than it is sporting. Overall it's quite a striking car, though it's the detailing that makes it so interesting. From some angles the kink in the rear wing really works, lending a muscular shoulder to the two-door shape, yet from others it looks a little contrived. In contrast, the rear lights get a unanimous thumbs up. From a distance the front-end is striking and modern, but look closer and the detailing is a little fussy. It's such a pity that the parking sensors and covers in the bumper for the light washing jets and the tow hook are all so visible.

Admittedly, this is hypercritical, but one of the primary considerations when choosing a coupé is how it looks. Overall it's a distinctive, desirable car, but one that is even more colour and wheel-size sensitive than most. We'd highly recommend the optional panoramic sunroof (£1,287.02), as it further differentiates the Coupé from the saloon. The UK is getting its own model range, comprising of SE and Sport models and the latter will look particularly sporting thanks to an AMG body kit and 18-inch wheels as standard.

Inside, the new Coupé follows the lead set by its four-door brother. In general there is a sense of high quality, with superb seats and good space in the back for this type of car. The boot is huge too. A few items stood out for the wrong reasons though, such as the switches for the (admittedly fantastic) multi-adjustable lumbar support, which look decidedly aftermarket, while the plastic gearshift paddles (standard on the Sport models fitted with an automatic gearbox) just are not nice enough for a car of this calibre.

What you get for your Money

As mentioned, the line-up is pretty simple, split between the 'luxury' spec SE and the more overt Sport. Highlights of the standard SE specification include 17-inch alloys, a fancy parking assist system, leather upholstery and wheel, heated front seats and climate control. Sport models feature 18-inch rims, an AMG styling kit (front and rear aprons and side skirts), Adaptive High Beam Assist, LED daytime running lights, a lower ride height, 'Parameter Steering', bigger brakes, and sports seats and steering wheel. All that comes at a premium of just £1,995, which is incredible value.

So far, prices have only been released for the two E 350 models and for the E 500. The E 350 CDI starts at £33,285, the E 350 CGI at £35,175 and the E 500 (only available in Sport guise for some inexplicable reason) at £48,360. At those prices the 350 models are in direct competition with the BMW 330i and 330d Coupés, along with higher powered versions of the Audi A5, yet the E-Class name suggests that this car is in a class above. That's before you take into consideration the wealth of new technology and safety systems the new Coupé shares with its four-door sibling. Value is not a word you'd automatically associate with a Mercedes-Benz coupé.

Driving it

Let's get this out of the way: the E-Class Coupé features all the same safety systems and warnings as the four-door, which can be a little distracting. Saying that, it's likely that an owner will soon become accustomed to the barrage of information offered up via the dashboard, something two days at the wheel can't replicate.

We did, however, get to test the car's capabilities. There is no doubting its commendable competence. There is grip aplenty in most situations and the Coupé is notably more agile than the saloon it's based on. Balance is inherently neutral; arrive at a corner a little too quickly and the nose tends to push wide unto a little understeer; do that with too much pace and the electronic stability system kicks in to bring you back on line. However, set the car up properly before the corner and your exit from it can be mildly rear-led. In default mode the orange traction control light will flash before you detect any slide, while pressing the traction control button allows a few degrees of slip before power is cut, which renders the E-Class Coupé virtually foolproof to drive quickly.

Sadly, it can't touch its BMW rival for driving enjoyment. The steering offers little feel and even in Sport mode the automatic gearbox is slow to react to manual changes, meaning it's all too easy to be in the wrong gear on the exit of a corner. The E-Class Coupé's trump card comes in the form of decent ride comfort. Body control can be reigned in further if you opt for the Dynamic Handling Package (standard on the E 500, otherwise £479.57). Rather than offering the driver a series of customisation options, this adds a simple 'Sport' button, which affects the gearshift strategy, damping and throttle calibration. It's effective too and useful for road use when you're in the mood to drive.

Until an AMG version arrives later this year, the range-topper is the V8-engined E 500. With 383bhp and 391lb.ft of torque at its disposal, this model feels significantly faster than the E 350 CGI (288bhp, 269lb.ft), yet it's also more enjoyable to thread through a series of sharp bends. The V8 sounds much better than the slightly raucous V6 too. We couldn't recommend the V6 petrol version over its diesel equivalent. The E 350 CDI is our pick of the line-up with 228bhp and 398lb.ft of torque ensuring that it's probably as quick as the E 500 in the real world, yet its lower-revving engine endows it with a more relaxed gait.

Worth Noting

Given that 45 percent of CLKs sold were the 220 CDI variant, it's unsurprising to learn that there'll be further models added to the new E-Class Coupé range. First up will be the all-important E 250 CDI, which is surely set to be the best-seller. Though it makes do with four cylinders, it boasts an ample 201bhp and (more than ample by any measure) 369lb.ft of torque. Despite impressive pace Mercedes quotes a figure of 55.4mpg on the combined cycle and 135g/km. The adoption of a stop-start system in the near future should improve on those figures further.

Summary

With the change in name from CLK to E-Class Coupé, we assumed that the new two-door Merc had moved up a class. In some ways it has, yet the pricing of many of the variants puts them in direct competition with the smaller BMW 3 Series Coupé. This only serves to emphasise the Merc's value for money, a point that is hit home by the massive level of standard equipment. On first acquaintance the myriad warning and safety systems are overkill, though we can't deny their potential to prevent mishaps. Thankfully, the E-Class Coupé has a lot more to offer.

Shane O' Donoghue - 5 May 2009



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2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.

2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.



2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.
 

2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.
 

2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.
 

2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.
 

2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.
 

2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.
 

2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.
 

2009 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupé. Image by Max Earey.
 






 

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