CONSUMER demand
for upscale 242 luxury
coupes has been soft for

the past five years.

Recent casualties in the
over-$40,000 coupe segment
include the Lexus SC400,
BMW 850ci, Subaru SVX,
Lincoln Mark VHI, A
Legend Coupe, and eve
Mercedes-Benz E320 €
which enjoyed a bret liespan
in 1995. Existing luxury
coupes like the Cad
Eldorado and Bui
aren't selling v

So it’s a mystery why
Mercedes-Benz woald want
to invoduce a $57,000 lusu-
ry coupe into a market where

nswer is that
seeds a com:
petitor for che BMW 3-Scries
Coupe, since an ali-
eli is due out

launching the new Vole
Coupe — 2 fronz-wheel
coupe based on the S70 (for-
merly 850) sedan.

Another possibility is that
Mercedes-Benz wants an
image-booster in the compact
car class. Over the past couple
of years, Mercedes-Benz has
been trying tu change its
~ stodgy image with models like
‘the SLK sports car, E-Class
sedan and PML 320 sport utili-
ty vehicle. The CLK fits well
into this strategy — coupes
are seen as more youthful,
and sporty than sedans,

Whatever the rationalc, the
CLK coupe is an important
new competitor wi the luxury
coupe segment, if only
because it’s a Mercedes-Benz.

The “CL” in CLK is

| Introducing the all new

a

NEW for ‘98, the CLK320 four passenger luxury coupe is based on the
the E-Class ‘sedan, and the same 215 horsepower 3.2-litre V6 engine and five-speed automatic transmission.

Mercedes-Benz? new designa-

tion for its coupe models —
the big S-Class coupes were
renamed CLS00 and CL6S0
this year. The “80 in CLK
stands for “kurtz”

The CL_K320 is based on
the compact C-Class sedan
platform and has the same
wheelbase. Here’s the con-
fusing part — the CLK’s
“face” looks like the larger,
mid-size E-Class sedan. The
CLK’s four separate head-
lamps, two large lowbeam:
and two smaller high beam
first appeared on che E320 in
1996.

In fact, the CLK’s four

separate headlamps are slight-

or “short.”

north shore news

& AU

nels with the E-Class
sedans.

Though the CLK is based
on a sedan, it has much Sess in
common with the C-Class

an than the 3281s does

nthe 328% or the C70
with the $70. For scarters, the
CLK has completely different
exterior styling and interior
stvling.

In: addition the CLK has a

The standard powerplant is
Mercedes’ new-generation

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TO

3 2-htre V6 engine mated to
a standard five speed auto-
matic transmission.

As much as F like
Mercedes-Benz inline six-
evlinder engines, 1 have to
admut they've done a good
job with the new V6. With
three valves and qwo spark
plugs per evlinder, the 215
horsepower CLK zips from 0
to 100 kin-h in just 7.4 sec-
onds — + quick and comped-
tive time in this class.

i af automatic
transmission is terrific too —
downshifting when
ary bur without much
his transmission adapts
to the aggressivness of the

Friday, May 8, 1998 - North Shore News - 37

er -— shifting sooner and
holdine shifts longer for
sportier driving, habits, or
shifting later for relaxed dri-
vers. My onty complaint, & a
slight gear w hine in first gear.

The CLK doesn’t offer a
manual transmission, and ¢
will disappoiar true drivir
enthusiasts. KMW and Volvo
do offer manual transmis-
sions.

Fuel economy is pretty
goud for a performance
coupe, 14.2 1/100 km (25

of) in the city and 7. 4
1/100 km (38 »1.p.g.) on the
highway.

Irs rear-wheel-drive lavout,

fully independent suspension,

ma,

©-class sedan platform, but has front-end styling that resembles

and 205/55HR-16 inch radi-
als contribute to balanced,
neutral handling but there's
some-body Jean during cor-
nering and the standard recir-
culating ball steering lacks the
precision of rack and pinion

The CLK seats four pas-
sengers and has a divider
between the rear passengers.
Though coupes often sacrifice
rear legroom and headroom,
the CLK’s is adeguate head-

room and legroom. Access‘to "~

the rear is aided by front scats
thar automatically slide for-
wards when the seatback is

See New page 39

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