As promised, here is the second of two Mercedes Review Roundups on this lovely July afternoon, with two more Mercedes models - the CLC Sport Coupe and the C63 AMG Estate - being put through their paces for your reading enjoyment.  As is the case with all our Review Roundup segments, you can find excerpts from each review as well as links back to the full articles immediately below.

Enjoy.


Mercedes-Benz CLC220 CDI (via Auto Express)
Reviewer's rating:  

"The fast-growing Mercedes model line-up now comprises three CL-badged coupés – all of which fit very different budgets.  At the top of the pile is the luxury CL, with the distinctive four-door CLS following close behind. Both have proved so popular that the company has come up with a new name – the CLC – to describe its latest three-door C-Class.

However, a quick glance at the pictures will show that despite the fresh badge, this is no all-new car. The CLC shares many panels and parts with its Sports Coupé predecessor. While Mercedes bosses claim that 1,100 components have been replaced or changed, the car’s compact shape and rising waistline remain.  Still, the CLC is a fine-looking three-door. The front end is shared with the C-Class saloon, while the more conservative rear has a classy finish.

Inside, it’s a different story. The cabin is very similar to that of the old C-Class, and as a result plastics and trim quality are well short of those in Mercedes’ latest compact executive model.

On the road, the car is hindered by its ageing underpinnings, too. One of the biggest changes is the introduction of a new direct-steer system. It’s a significant improvement, with less artificial weighting than on the previous generation, but it’s still not as responsive in corners as we would expect from a coupé.

The suspension on our Sport model has been lowered by 15mm at the front and 5mm at the rear. But even though all variants feed power to the rear wheels, the CLC makes a better cruiser than it does a sports car, particularly with its decent ride comfort."

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Mercedes-Benz CLC220 CDI (via Belfast Telegraph)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"[David Wilkins] - This week, our panel of readers tests Mercedes' three-door CLC. That's a new model name, but the car itself is largely carried over from the Sport Coupé model of the last-generation C-Class.  The main change is that Mercedes has grafted what looks like the nose of the new C-Class on to the front of the old car, and a good job it has done too.

There are also a number of worthwhile under-the-skin changes, most notably, the variable ratio "direct-steering" fitted to Sport variants such as our test car, which is designed to offer good directional stability but a precise response when the wheel is moved from the straight-ahead position. The cabin is largely last-generation C-Class, but one loss is the second, lower, tailgate window that made reversing easier in the old car.

I have to admit that I was sceptical about the CLC, especially when I discovered the sticker on one of its door pillars proudly proclaiming that it had been built in Brazil, but it grew on me. That was mainly a product of our test car's strong, if slightly clattery, 220CDI diesel engine and optional automatic gearbox. Regular readers may remember that this combination did well powering the enormous E-Class Binz limousine we tested last year; it has an easy life propelling the CLC.

[John Lambert] - What does CLC stand for? On the basis of my experience I'd say it is "Cracking Little Coupé". There are some niggles; some of the interior trim feels cheap and it sounds like a taxi at low rpm. More serious is the lack of rear visibility; the back window just isn't deep enough. And pulling away is not as seamless as it should be; the drive is taken up with a jerk. Other than that, Mercedes has made almost the perfect car for me. The steering is direct without being twitchy; the ride, firm yet comfortable; the performance almost relentless, especially at motorway speeds. Even the styling appeals, especially the bold rectangular grille and headlamps. I only wish I had £24,000 or so to buy one."

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Mercedes-Benz CLC-Class (via FemaleFirst)
Reviewer's rating:  

"Taking some exterior styling characteristics from its older siblings, the CLC is a stunning-looking car, as you would expect given its heritage, yet has its own additions, making it distinctive from the rest of the family. For instance, the completely new, arrowed front, the wide, louvered radiator grille incorporating the three-point star in the middle, flanked by lovely projection beam headlights that extend into the wings. The profile and the lines steadily rise to meet the rear spoiler, while the flared wheel arches cement presence. The rear is a little disappointing for a Mercedes and appears to be rather bunched up. The back window also happens to be very small and seriously hinders rear visibility.

Inside, the materials used are not the best Mercedes Benz have come up with and have that second-hand quality feel about them. Despite being a Coupe, the interior is pretty spacious, especially for the rear passengers, with a splashing of storage binnacles to give a hint to the practical nature of this CLC. Along with the door pockets and bottle holders, there is a storage box in the centre armrest and one in the centre console. However, the luggage area is large and, with the rear seats splitting, bulkier loads can be accommodated with ease.

What you have to be very careful to do here is to set your budget, for the list of optional extras could send the price tag spiralling out of control, just like the fuel prices today. The only monetary incentive will be to pay the £1,100 extra to upgrade to the Sports model, gaining £2,000 worth of extras. These comprise of metallic paint, 18-inch alloy wheels, sports suspension and full Artico upholstery. However, bear in mind that the CLC 230 and CLC 350 are exclusively available as Sports models, priced at £24,280 and £27,240 respectively. These are both on the petrol engines that claim 29.7 mpg and 28.2 mpg on a combined cycle with the 6- and 7-speed automatic gearbox.

Realistically, you would be better sticking to the turbodiesel engines that have been refined to improve fuel consumption. As the well-known supermarket slogan states, ‘every little helps’. Two are on offer, the 200 CDI and 220 CDI, the latter being the car I drove the most on this launch, from the deepest depths of Surrey right into the centre of London, but missing the congestion zones of course.  Both engines come on the SE trim and my car had a price tag of £22,260 topped-up with £3,500 worth of extras. One was the 5-speed automatic gearbox that, quite frankly, was not as smooth as Mercedes predecessors. The response was surprisingly delayed and the ride quite ropey, despite the MacPherson three-link suspension at the front and multi-link suspension on the rear. Fuel consumption was better, resulting in 42.8 mpg, and CO2 emissions come in between 172-170g/km."

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Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Estate (via Autocar.co.uk)
Reviewer's rating:  Unspecified

"The new Mercedes C63 AMG estate, which brings the thunderous 6.2-litre V8 to Mercedes’ executive load-lugger. That means 451bhp and 443lb ft of torque propelling a car weighing just 65kg more than its saloon counterpart, resulting in a penalty of just 0.1sec in the sprint to 60mph and half an mpg in extra fuel consumption.

On the road, it’s near-identical to the C63 saloon. So although you’ll have to put up with a lumpy low-speed ride, the pay-off is magnificent body control, incisive steering, relentless acceleration and a soundtrack that will give you goose bumps.  Best of all, though, is the 7-speed automatic transmission. This has a full manual paddle-shift mode that feels almost as slick as a twin-clutch set up. It even allows you to bounce off the rev limiter without changing up for you.

So should I buy one?  An extra £1250 over the saloon sounds expensive, but with the recent demise of the RS4 Avant, and no M3 estate, if you want a small V8 estate the Mercedes C63 is your only option. Good thing it’s a cracking car, then."

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And before I go, a special thanks yet again to our friend Shiv for the tips.  As always, we sincerely appreciate them.