C-Class Sport Coupé (2000–2008)
Mercedes introduced the C-Class Sport Coupé (codenamed "Peanut" ver. CL203) to Europe in October 2000 as a three-door hatchback coupe, based on the regular W203 C-Class range. North American sales began in 2001 for the 2002 model year.
Whereas the C-Class sedan and wagon had the traditional Mercedes horizontal bar grille with the hood ornament, the Sport Coupé had a star-grille front end giving it a sportier look.[24] The Sport Coupé also had a fastback roofline, an optional panoramic sunroof, and a functional rear spoiler to provide downforce at high speeds. The Sport Coupé was seven inches (178 mm) shorter overall than the sedan, while sharing the same wheelbase length.[25]
Initial Sport Coupé engine configurations included the C 180 (129 PS), C 220 (143 PS), C 200 Kompressor, and C 230 Kompressor. In 2003, Mercedes-Benz added the C 180 Kompressor, the C 200 CGI, and C 30 CDI AMG. In 2005 the C 160 Kompressor was made available. There was also the C 32 AMG with 354 PS and 450 Nm which was available only by special order from AMG STUDIO for the 2003 model year, making the C 32 AMG Sport Coupé much rarer than its saloon and wagon counterparts.[26])
The C 230 Sport Coupé was powered by a 2.3-litre supercharged, four-cylinder motor (M111) with output of 192 hp and 207 lbft of torque, which was more powerful than the C 240 sedan's 175 PS V6 engine, although the M111 was coarse and noisy at the high end. In 2003 the M111 was replaced with a quieter and more efficient DOHC supercharged 1.8 litre four-cylinder engine (M271).[12][27]
The C 230 Sport Coupé and the C 320 Sport Coupé were the two most inexpensive models in the Mercedes-Benz lineup of the United States and Canada at the time, although at least some noted the idea of an "inexpensive Mercedes" undermined the marque's association in certain markets with expensive cars.[27] The C 230 base trim enabled the automaker to reach a lower price point than existing models sold in North America, although it lacked standard leather seats and a CD player which were amenities typically expected of German luxury imports, and adding those options made the car similarly as expensive as the BMW 325Ci Coupe and Audi TT both of which had better handling.[28] The Sport Coupé's liftback profile was seen as sleeker and more graceful while providing ample passenger room and storage space, compared to its closest competitor in the BMW 3 Series Compact which was derisively regarded as a truncated regular BMW 3 Series Coupé. Although the hatchback body style was declining in popularity among North American customers during the late 1990s, resulting in the first generation 3 Series Compact being pulled from that market in 1999 after a short sales run, Mercedes offered the Sport Coupé for the 2002 model year onward alongside other W203 C-Class models.[29] Mercedes found that the C-Class Sport Coupé was a popular first Mercedes for new customers, 40% of whom reportedly return to subsequently buy more expensive models.[30]
CLC-Class (2008–2011)
The Sport Coupé was spun off into its own separate line called the CLC-Class in 2008. The car was presented at the 2008 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin, which took place from 27 to 31 January.[33] The CLC was produced in Brazil at the company's plant in Juiz de Fora, close to the state border with Rio de Janeiro.[34]
Although the CLC is still based on the W203 platform, it was refreshed with an updated front and tail inspired by the W204 series C-Class. The refresh reworked the rear and front along with some other refinements and new details (Mercedes claimed around 1,100 components), including a steering system borrowed from the SLK-Class and a revised suspension.[35] Out of the sheetmetal of the CLC-Class, only the doors, roof and quarter panels were carried over from the C-Class Sport Coupé. The interior is still largely similar to the first-generation Sport Coupé, although it did receive the steering wheel from the facelifted W219 and an updated optional navigation system.
Some auto journalists noted that the improvements were limited in order to differentiate the CLC-Class and protect the status of the more lucrative marques in the lineup; one reviewer stated the "CLC does just about enough to introduce new customers to the world of Mercedes" and that it had the "feel of an authentic Mercedes-Benz, which is more than I’d say about the A-Class and B-Class front-wheel-drive hatchbacks".
