Mercedes-Benz CLC - Are a new name and face enough to keep Merc's baby coupe fresh?

摘要

You don't need an especially keen eye to recognise the Mercedes-Benz CLC for what it is. Look beyond the new name (with blatant links to Mercedes' bigger coupe models) and the new front end and it's clear that this is not an all-new model, but instead a refresh of the existing C-class Sports Coupe. Why, you may ask, has Mercedes ignored the opportunity to use the excellent new C-class platform and persisted with old technology? Partly because the CLC, like the Sports Coupe, is built in Brazil, separately from the C-class saloon. But it's also because it is rumoured that the next A-class platform will yield a coupe variant, so the CLC's life cycle maybe short enough that a switch to the new C-class base would be uneconomic.