STYLE WITHOUT SACRIFICE
LESS is sometimes more, and when it comes to cars, taking away two doors is often all that is needed to make the ordinary, spectacular. And so it is with the Mercedes-Benz C-Class coupe. With its roots grounded in the C-Class sedan, the coupe shies away from the former’s more practical aspirations with an added emphasis on style, and performance.
The C250 coupe as tested, is powered by a 208hp 2.0 litre engine producing a healthy 350Nm of torque connected to a 7G-Tronic Plus sevenspeed automatic gearbox. Despite weighing in excess of 1.5 tonnes, the performance figures are robust, with acceleration to the century mark at 6.8 seconds. At full throttle, the C250 can reach a top speed of 250kph, which is more than adequate.
The C250 Coupe comes equipped with 19-inch AMG alloy wheels, as well as LED Intelligent Light System headlights with Adaptive High-beam Assist.
Inside, there is a full leather interior, with creature comforts, such as keyless ignition and remote bootlid. There is space for rear adult passengers, as well as 400 litres of boot space.
All this is packed in a body that is designed with the latest MercedesBenz design language. The coupe is 4,686mm long, 1,810mm wide and 1,405 mm tall.
It is 95mm longer and 40mm wider compared with its outgoing model.
Despite its weight and size, the coupe is agile. Though it does not handle as sharp as a sports car, it changes direction eagerly when driven on curvy roads. On the highway, it wafts along, revealing its true nature as a grand tourer.
It is an easy car to live with. Despite its less practical body configuration, it is comfortable and spacious. The seating position, while low, gives adequate visibility. The big coupe doors aid with egress and ingress for driver and passengers. There are surprisingly few idiosyncrasies of living with the C250 coupe on a daily basis.
The engine is smooth and unobtrusive. The instrumentation and controls are easy to use. The only gripe that one might have is how the coupe’s large wheels and suspension cope with potholed Malaysian roads.
What the C250 coupe really does well, however, is look good. With its long swooping body, muscular stance and three-pointed star pedigree, it looks special.
The Mercedes-Benz C250 coupe is priced at RM335,888. For slightly less, (RM310,888, or RM25,000 less) you could opt for the base C200 coupe, which is powered by the same turbocharged four cylinder engine, albeit de-tuned. This version delivers 181hp at 5,500rpm and 300Nm of torque, which delivers a 7.3 second century sprint and 235kph top speed.
On the other end of the spectrum, there is the C300, at a significantly dearer price of RM390,888. Driven by the same engine, this time tuned to 241hp and 370Nm of torque it is trumped only by the 362hp, RM548,888 Mercedes-AMG C43 Coupe and the RM773,888 Mercedes-AMG C 63 Coupe S with 510hp, the flagship of the range.