Frank Bracke has been with Mercedes-Benz in Stuttgart but travels the world in his capacity working in global communications. He goes to and works at many of the International motor shows and attends the world premieres and first press drives. We were at the International press event of the new CLC when I had a chat with him. Frank said: “Since January Mercedes-Benz have had a busy time launching the most facelifts they have ever had to do in such a short space of time. These include the SL, SLK, CLS, A Class and B Class”.
We had driven the CLC during that day so I was keen to get his reaction to it and just how much it changed from its predecessor. He told me: “The platform is very similar to the C Class Sports Coupe it has replaced but has been developed to be more agile and has been tweaked. It is now firmly part of the Coupe family and joins the CLK, CLS and CL. It has become the fourth Coupe.
He went on to say: It does share many components with other Mercedes-Benz cars - this enables us to offer it at a sensible price and it is the entry level into the Coupe market. The CLC has youthful lines, is very stylish, trendsetting and up to date but not modest”.
The CLC is in some people’s opinion an all new car but the feeling from Frank is that it is a major face lift. It has got an all new front end from the A pillar forward which resembles the new C Class and it has a new rear hatch. The small window has gone and this has been replaced with an extended LED rear brake light. The interior remains the same as the outgoing Sports Coupe with only the instrument cluster and dials receiving a make over. Good ideas such as the hill start assist (this is now standard on the C-Class manual) have not been transferred into the CLC as standard, neither is it an option.
Frank Bracke said: “Around 66% of Sports Coupe owners have gone on to buy another Mercedes-Benz. Most of these buy a more expensive model in the range as they like the impressive dynamics and handling that Mercedes cars offer. Mercedes-Benz has a long tradition with Coupe models and the CLC is the latest in a long line of them.
