Alternative review of Mercedes-Benz CLC

Mercedes Benz has a lot of expectations to live up to. After all, the triple pointed star has produced some of the highest quality vehicles seen on the road today - think E-class, A-class and chunky S-class luxury saloon. In the higher reaches of the prestige market, Mercedes is the byword for quality and style. So I was justifiably excited when the CLC 200K rolled up for my motoring pleasure. The CLC is basically a facelifted replacement for Mercedes' most affordable coupe, previously known as the C-class Sports Coupe. It's a car to rival relatively affordable smart coupes like Alfa Romeo's GT or Volkswagen's Scirocco: a kind of junior Mercedes CLK if you like. The German brand however, would prefer you to see it as a rival to premium hatchbacks like Audi's A3, BMW's 1 Series and upper versions of the Volvo C70. At first glance, it looked like the CLC would suit me down to the ground. Smart sculpted styling, luxurious leather seats in my test car and enough horses to make Ascot look inadequate. Plus I like the idea of driving a Mercedes.

Let's begin at the beginning as they say. Blip the strangely shaped key-fob and you'll notice the indicators flashing in the wing mirrors. This look has come in across the Mercedes range and, while it essentially does nothing for the driver, does let everyone else know what you are doing. In the roads around my house, these high level indicators are essential for road communication. In the battle of Mercedes versus the rest of the industry, the first point decisively goes to Mercedes. Hop into the (optional) electronically adjustable leather seats and spend ten minutes finding the right seating position. If, like me, you prefer to sit up rather than lie back in your seat, then you had better be under average height as the headroom isn't wonderful. The Mercedes marketing men will claim that because the seat moves vertically as well as laterally, everyone should be able to find the perfect position. Maybe so, but I would like to see the speedometer at the same time and not have to peer over the top of the steering wheel like my grandma in her battered Micra. One on the scoreboard for the opposition. In a similar fashion, elbowroom is at a premium on both sides, creating a very cramped sensation not helped by the voluminous dashboard. 15-30 to the competition. While I am on the interiors soapbox, I may as well mention the adjuster for the seat back supports - very hard to locate and then turn for anyone with large-ish hands. And don't even think about wearing a stone-set ring while you do it. Then there is the 'aluminium' trim in the centre console. Touch it and the illusion is shattered - cheap plastic sees the competition surge to 15-40 ahead. Look a little harder at the interior and you'll start to spot the clever touches. The controls for your mobile phone are set into the steering wheel, as is the stereo control. The large speedo is easy to see (providing of course that you haven't set the seat into the floor), the controls are mostly set in logical locations and the speakers are nicely hidden, giving the stereo a reassuringly expensive sound. Mercedes sneaks one down the line to 30-40. The one thing that you will notice getting in and out of the C200K is the reassuring weight of the doors and the satisfied clunk with which they latch home. Despite some flimsy materials on the dashboard, the car does feel impeccably screwed together, bringing Mercedes to a reassuring Deuce. The tie-break, of course, will be the engine and driveability.

The CLC is available only with four-cylinder engines these days ranging from the modest (122bhp) to the muscular (184bhp). The engines are a virtual carry-over from the C-Class Sport Coupe of old, and very good they have proved too. The Kompressor engine is a real terrier of a powerplant, always on, always encouraging you to acquaint the accelerator pedal with the carpet. A broad spread of power means smooth driving. Mercedes have less than stellar reputation when it comes to manual gearboxes but the latest range of gearboxes do away with the lever and cable system in favour of a single rod, giving a far more direct feel. So how does it feel on the road? It depends on how you drive. Advanced engine management software means that this car attempts to learn your driving style. Punch the accelerator hard and the response is instant and spiky. Unlike turbocharged cars there's no annoying lag as you wait for the blower to spool up, the CLC 200K that I tried offering drive on demand. If you're smoother with the accelerator, the software takes the edge off the rate the throttle valves are opened, making the car seem creamy smooth. It's an impressive showing. Whereas the first Sports Coupes were a little uninvolving, the latest CLC generation models promise a good deal more fun.

The CLC continues in its predecessor's footsteps, offering Mercedes brand values with stylish looks at relatively modest prices that start at around the £20,000 mark. Its appeal has been updated just enough for it not to look out of place in a gleaming Mercedes dealership next to more precious metal. Keen drivers may still opt for something else but keen drivers don't account for the majority of buyers in the sports coupe sector: this car's predecessor proved that. The CLC is a model that plays more subtle hand than most of its rivals but nonetheless plays it very well. For its intended buyers, it will continue to be a difficult package to resist.