Review of the new Mercedes C-Class Sports Coupe C180K

It had been a long time since around £19,000 was enough to buy you a Mercedes sportscar - or at least something that felt like it was. Hence the interest in the £19,605 C180K version, it's not the cheapest model in the Sports Coupe Range but it might be the best value.

For a few pounds less than the C180K saloon, the C180K Sports Coupe model offers far more in the way of driveway credibility as well as all the usual three-pointed star virtues. It also comes with a good deal more than you might expect in the way of performance. The reason why is found in the 'K' that's added to this model's moniker. It designates 'Kompressor', German for 'Supercharger', reflecting the fact that the engine used in this car is one of the Twinpulse variety. As a result, power increased from 129 to 143bhp. All right, the overall capacity has fallen (this is now a 1.8 rather than a 2.0-litre) but even so, performance is a good deal better, with the rest to sixty sprint time reduced by 1.3s to 9.7s and the maximum speed up to 139mph. As a result, you could buy this model as a sportscar and hold your head up high. It's certainly got more credability about it than the entry-level C160 which scrapes by with 122bhp.

It won't escape the attention of potential buyers that, thanks to clever technology and lighter weight, fuel consumption is impressive for a sports-orientated model, the combined figure of 33.6mpg giving a theoretical Range of 527 miles. Perhaps most significant however, is the improvement in emissions which have fallen by nearly 50grams to 183g. Predictably, that makes a huge difference with the tax man: business users will love it.

"It's hard to tell that there isn't a six cylinder engine under the bonnet…"

On the road, the differences in Twinpulse motoring ought to be fairly readily apparent. Thanks to a specially developed Lanchester balancer shaft, refinement and acoustics are much closer to those of a six cylinder engine than those of a four. Go for the badge-delete option, take your colleagues out and see if they can tell that there isn't a six cylinder unit under the bonnet. In the latest round of revisions, the suspension pick up points have been tweaked for better driver feedback, the width of the track has grown by 18mm and the steering is also a good deal more direct. Whereas the first Sports Coupes were a little uninvolving, the latest generation promise a good deal more fun.

Another part of the Twinpulse recipe is an Electronic Control Unit that through throttle pedal movements, recognises your driving style and adapts the drive characteristics of the engine Accordingly. If, like many potential C-class Sports Coupe customers, you fancy yourself as a racing driver, the ECU will do its best to accommodate you, improving throttle response. If on the other hand, the computer detects a driver looking for comfort rather than speed, it harmonises the engine settings to suit.

What all of this means is that the £1,500 price jump to the next C-class Sports Coupe model up - the C200 Kompressor - is now much more difficult to justify. Though this variant too has Twinpulse technology, the 163bhp output is not massively superior. Mercedes do point out however, that torque - the pulling power you need through the gears - is much improved in this car and that fuel consumption is more than 12% better.

Of course, even if you opt for the C180K, £19,605 is still a lot to pay for a smallish three-door sports coupe and there's tough competition from prestige rivals. Having said that, it's true to say that you'll get a lot of that back come trade-in time - far more in fact than you would with most rivals. The version in fact to go for with this car is not the standard C180K SE but the Sport edition variant which for around £900 more dresses the car up very nicely.

As a two-door, more dynamic-looking C-class saloon or an entry-level CLK wannabe, the Sports Coupe makes a lot of sense. It's smaller than the larger CLK coupe of course - but you won't really notice any difference unless you habitually sit in the back. To keep the two products apart, there is no Sports Coupe convertible - the CLK will get to keep that market niche to itself. BMW and Saab - whose products can substantially undercut the CLK Cabriolet but would struggle against a Sports Coupe version - will be delighted to hear it. Not that Mercedes wants to totally ignore the affordable realms of the open air coupe market. Buyers can specify Panoramic twin glass sunroofs which extend from the windscreen to the top of the tailgate and slide electrically backwards and forwards.

This model might share the same platform, suspension and steering with its C-class saloon stablemate but in almost every other respect, the designers have been keen to differentiate the two cars. It's 20mm lower for a start - which could put headroom at a premium if you're loftily built. Despite the compact length (just 4343mm) and the reduced headroom for rear seat passengers, Mercedes still contend that this car is a genuine four-seater. They do however, admit that luggage space is necessarily down on what you could expect from the four-door model (falling from 455 to 310 litres). Still, you will be able to 50/50 split-fold the rear seats and in doing so, increase the capacity to some 1,100 litres.

In the efforts to create that dynamic-looking low-slung shape, every body panel has been changed (though ironically, the shape of the saloon still proves more slippery in the wind tunnel). The lights have been restyled and that famous badge relocated on the front grille. In fact, the only exterior body parts shared are the windscreen wiper, the door handles and the mirrors. Probably the most notable styling cue is the kicked-up tail with its see-through lower glass panel, intended to create extra downforce for the rear axle. If it does, it's not worth the disadvantage created in the further impairing of already poor rearward vision.

The styling on the car has come in for some subtle revisions that most will find it hard to spot. Front bumper and grille have been redesigned for what Mercedes hope is a 'more powerful feel', while clear-lensed headlamps are now fitted as standard. The interior has been given a slight revision too, with a redesigned three spoke sports steering wheel that features silver control buttons, sports seats and silver appliqués in the centre console. The look is still rather generic Mercedes-Benz but at least there's a little more flair evident.

As an overall package, the C180K Sports Coupe is a useful component in the company's portfolio, a chance to own a classically-styled Mercedes coupe with sprightly performance at a price that many more people can afford. For that reason, if no other, it's a car you can't ignore.

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