Review of the new Mercedes-Benz CLK 220CDI

All too often, opting for a coupe brings with it an enormous quantity of impractical baggage. You won't be able to get in the back if you're taller than a jockey, you can't get back out if you're wearing a skirt, the running costs are crippling and the upfront costs are more than the saloon car upon which said coupe is based. Whilst the Mercedes CLK220 CDI can't address every prejudice, it at least offers a reasoned response to more than a few. A sensible coupe? Mercedes would have us believe that.

The concept of diesel-powered coupes has become one we're now relatively comfortable with. Peugeot latterly pioneered the genre with the Coupe and Mercedes and BMW have been significant in this small but growing market sector. The CLK220 CDI, priced at £30,385, represents the entry-level diesel in this line-up and unlike the 320 CDI variant (priced from £34,540) comes in Coupe form only and not as a Cabriolet. At this point, it's fair to point out that Mercedes can also offer you a classy coupe with this same engine for nearly £6,000 less (in the form of the C-class Sports Coupe), but that car is aimed at a rather different buyer - as we shall see.

Unlike its smaller C-class counterpart, the CLK is a proper four-seater and appeals to a more mature audience, Mercedes producing figures which indicate that the average age of CLK owners hovers around 50. It's a car that's perfect for the affluent mature buyer - smooth, luxurious, safe, good looking and with the right badge on the bonnet. There are those who claim that the latest generation CLK isn't quite as elegantly alluring as its predecessor, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

"The Mercedes CLK220 CDI is a perfect example of a car that understands the demands of its target market."

While this 150bhp 220CDI diesel can't hope to keep up with the 224bhp unit in the pricier 320CDI variant, it still manages a respectable turn of speed, making sixty from rest in 10.2s on the way to 137mph. At the same time, you can expect to average around 43mpg - about 8mpg better than you'd expect in the 320CDI variant. The 220CDI powerplant is also a clean one, the 172g/km CO2 figure far eclipsing that of the 270CDI model this variant replaces.

More impressive than the largely irrelevant performance figures is this car's real world performance through the gears. The prodigious torque figure isn't far off that of a V8 petrol-engined CLK500. And fuel consumption of course, as we've said, is in a different league. Expect over 30mpg even around town.

Compared to a BMW 3 Series Coupe or an Audi TT, the latest generation CLK feels a more grown up proposition, giving credence to the company's ownership demographic data. That's not to say its future was always quite so assured. The original version was in danger of being squeezed into irrelevance by Mercedes own product planning policies. The introduction of the C-Class Sports Coupe did for sales of entry-level CLK models, whilst the SLK and SL models made opting for upspec CLKs an act of intense soul searching. In second generation guise, many of these issues have been addressed and equipped with this impressive diesel, the CLK220 CDI more than justifies its existence.

In recent times, further efforts have been made to make this car even better to drive. As well as the adoption of the new engines like that in the CLK 220CDI, these efforts have included the adoption of what Mercedes dubs 'Direct Control' technology. This amounts to modified axle bearings, more direct steering and a shorter gearshift travel, offering a sportier, more dynamic feel to the car. Likewise, optional steering wheel gearshift buttons for models with an automatic transmission, revised audio units with Europe-wide navigation and bi-xenon headlamps with cornering light function have also been introduced. Stung by criticism of so-so interior quality, Mercedes have also taken steps to redesign many of the CLK's switches and controls. Trim changes include a redesigned front bumper and radiator, Plus a smarter fascia for Avantgarde-trimmed models.

If you haven't checked out the second generation CLK, there are all kinds of things we need to cover but probably the most significant is the provision of a body that is a full 40% stiffer. We'll certainly see the advantages of that when the all-new Cabriolet version arrives in Summer 2003 (the old models with their old engines continue until then) but even in the Coupe, the benefits are impressive. Perhaps most significantly, the stouter platform has enabled the engineers to get rid of the centre pillar between the front and rear windows, a design cue that harks back to classic Mercedes coupe models of the Sixties.

Where some of the trim in the MK1 CLK felt a bit down-market, this car has much more in common with the larger S-class-based CL coupe and, like that model (but unlike the C-class Sports Coupe), can easily seat four adults in long distance comfort. The longer, wider and taller shape helps here, as does the decision of the MK2 model designers to get rid of the central rear seat (instead there's a storage tray) and concentrate on pampering just two rear passengers properly. Equipment includes climate control for the air conditioning, automatic headlamps with washers, all-round electric windows, rain-sensing wipers, a height and reach-adjustable steering wheel, 'Speedtronic' cruise control, twin front, side and window airbags, Plus of course ABS with Brake Assist and the ESP stability control programme. There are three trim levels - Plush Elegance, trendier Avantgarde and Sport.

The Mercedes CLK220 CDI is a perfect example of a car that understands the demands of its target market. It doesn't pretend to be an emigre from a racing programme, instead offering a supple and sybaritic ownership experience without the accompanying big bills. Surprisingly practical yet elegantly styled, the CLK220 CDI ticks more boxes than any conceivable rival.