Mercedes E-class Coupe
(C207)
Debut: 2009 |
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In 1968, Mercedes-Benz introduced a hardtop coupe based on its mid-sized W114 saloon. The 250CE, where C stands for Coupe, was renowned for mechanical refinement and an elegant style by its Italian designer Bruno Sacco. That was the ancestor of today's E-class Coupe. Mercedes produced three generations of CE coupes before switching to the smaller CLK-class from 1997. While the latter was a commercial success, it had been finding more and more difficult to fend off the competition from BMW 3-Series Coupe, Audi A5 and Infiniti G37 Coupe. These cars are more dynamically capable yet cheaper to purchase. In order to sustain a price premium, the product planners at Stuttgart decided to terminate the CLK line and go back to its mid-size strategy. As a result, E-class Coupe is born. By switching to the E-class name, Mercedes hopes the coupe will have a psychological advantage over its rivals, because customers can clearly see its classier status. Moreover, it is part of the company's strategy to reduce its increasingly confusing nameplates. As we know, the next generation CL coupe will also be renamed to S-class Coupe.
The relationship between E-class Coupe and E-class saloon is evident from its quad-diamond-shape headlights. But everything else is different. There is not a single body panel shared between the two cars as their dimensions and shapes are very different. The Coupe has a much sleeker profile. Its windshield and rear screen are set at fast angles to enable a world record-breaking Cx of 0.24, i.e., one point better than the saloon. Its slopping bonnet is headed by a grille and 3-pointed star badge traditionally reserved for Mercedes coupes. Its side glasses are heavily tapered towards the roof to create a sportier feel. The power bulges around rear fenders have a similar intention. The frameless doors and B-pillarless hardtop design bring a cleaner side view. There is some CLS-class flavours in the banana-shape waistline. However, like the sedan, the E-class Coupe is not a good example of automotive design. I particularly dislike its complicated front end, whose angular elements contrast the smooth body profile. Moreover, the high and curvy waistline creates a sense of fatness so that the rear wheels look at least a couple of inches smaller than they should be. On the road, this car might be as head-turning as CLS because of its heavy-handed design, but from purist point of view it has little to remember. The interior of E-class Coupe adopts a design similar to its saloon sibling, which means intuitive, high-quality and robust. But since this is a coupe, we should expect something more stylish, shouldn't we ? Fortunately, those good-looking leather seats save the game. The front seats are not only supportive and comfortable, they are also set low enough in the cabin. The two individual rear seats have a similar sporty design as the front (like Porsche Panamera), what a pity they are not the most accommodative in the class - while legroom is abundant, people over 5' 9" (175cm) will have their heads touching the sloping roof. All passengers are cocooned by a high waistline, but a light and airy ambience is made possible by a panoramic glass roof, remarkably narrow roof rails and the lack of B-pillars.
As in the sedan, you can have a wide range of luxury, infotainment and safety features. However, I suppose our readers are more interested in the mechanical aspect. Although E-class Coupe is supposed to be the coupe version of E-class, I found it actually owes more to the C-class. Look at its dimensions: this car is 117 mm longer than C-class and 170 mm shorter than E-class, 16 mm wider than C-class and 68 mm narrower than the E-class, so it is closer to the former. Most important, its 2760 mm wheelbase is identical to the smaller saloon. What do you think ? Yes, it might be derived from the C-class. Mercedes insisted that it employs more components from E-class than C-class, such as suspensions and powertrains. It just didn't tell us that the new E-class has already switched to C-class suspensions. Moreover, the Coupe does not get Airmatic suspensions, unlike E-class. As for powertrains, it is meaningless to say which ones come from E-class because Mercedes' powertrains are always designed independent of cars. Any new models are free to adopt suitable powertrains from the enormous parts pool. 5 engines are offered on the Coupe: 204hp 1.8 direct-injection turbo (E250CGI), 204hp 2.1 twin-turbo diesel (E250CDI), 231hp 3.0 turbo diesel V6 (E350CDI), 292hp 3.5 direct-injection V6 (E350CGI) and 388hp 5.5 V8 (E500 or E550). As you have read from our E-class report, the V8 offers serious performance but its asking price is out of the reach of most buyers. Moreover, its extra weight compromises handling a little. The petrol V6 looks powerful on paper, but in reality it lacks instantaneous torque compared with BMW's twin-turbo straight-six or Audi's supercharged V6, so it is not the best choice here. The diesel V6 is worth more recommendation for its combination of real world performance and respectable refinement, though a low-revving diesel engine is hardly an inspiring choice. The same goes for the four-cylinder E250CGI, which is willing and refined, if not very quick. It represents great value for money. We praised the four-cylinder diesel E250CDI in our E-class saloon report. In the lighter and sleeker coupe, it delivers an even more incredible fuel economy (55.3 mpg) and emission (135g/km CO2). Nevertheless, the engine is coarse whenever being pushed to upper rev range, thus it can hardly satisfy enthusiastic drivers.
On the road, the E-class Coupe shows considerable improvement in handling compared with the previous CLK. There is a new sense of speed and accuracy from its variable-ratio steering rack. The chassis shows tighter body control and better balance in corners. Understeer is better suppressed. Such improvements are brought by the "Agility Control" suspensions, which employ two-stage mechanical adaptive dampers. If you opt for "Dynamic Handling" pack, which is an affordable option on all sport models and standard on E500, you'll also get electronic continuous adaptive damping, gearshift paddles and a Sport button which switch to sportier suspension, throttle and transmission mapping. You can have the E-class Coupe set as a sports coupe or a comfort coupe depending on your mood. In sport mode, it flows through winding back roads more fluently, giving you more confidence. Admittedly, even then the Mercedes coupe is not as agile as a BMW 3-Series Coupe in sport suspensions. To preserve a ride quality that Mercedes needs, it leaves some body roll and understeer unrectified. In Comfort mode, or on standard suspensions without Dynamic Handling pack, the E-class Coupe rides nicely - slightly firmer than E-class saloon but perfectly suitable to a civilized coupe. Only the E500 on 18-inch rims and low-profile tires would generate some harshness over bumpy roads. Unsurprisingly, the best part of E-class Coupe is still comfort and refinement, especially how it is driven relaxingly cross country. The way it cruises at high speed with little wind noise, engine noise and road noise is impressive. Its high-speed stablity, its refined steering and ride ease your fatigue over long journey, let you enjoy the great view from the paranomic glass house. Use the Command voice recognition to play your favourite Jazz, let the radar cruise control, lane departure warning and blindspot warning to relieve your pressure... relax... and relax... Just as you fall asleep, the drowsy alert sounds a warning chime to wake you up. It's time to have a coffee at road side cafe. If you enjoy luxury motoring, E-class Coupe should be the cheapest entry point. |
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| The above report was last updated on 27 Jun 2009. All Rights Reserved. |
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 E-class Coupe |
 E-class Cabriolet |
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| Performance
tested by: *C&D,
**R&T, *** Autocar |
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