Photo: original image by autoevolution
Usually, autoevolution editorials aren't about pretty pictures. They're about ideas, controversial ideas that usually upset people. But I can't do this without a photo because there's a good chance nobody actually remembers the CLC. So without a photo, none of what I say would make any sense.
You see, Mercedes makes some pretty awesome cars, but the problem with these fine German folks is they are extremely traditional. They don't follow the general trend of the market and when a new niche appears, they're usually the last to cater to it. It's their Achilles' heel.
As a response to demand for cheaper cars with premium badges, Mercedes introduced a short coupe/fastback version of the C-Class in 2000, which we eventually got to know as the CLC-Class. It was never that technologically competent and it wasn't given access to the best engines, so nobody really bought one. In 2011, they replaced it with the W204 C-Class Coupe, the car everybody thinks of when you say "AMG Black Series". Needless to say, they got it right the second time.
The problem with the CLC was that Mercedes thought it could fix anything wrong with the car by using glossy videos, shiny paint and marketing, lots and lots of marketing.
I think they're doing it again with the GLE Coupe, a car that's supposed to rival the BMW X6, but doesn't actually seem up to the job. Most buyers don't really care about the finer details, like small weight differences or how many gears it has. All they want is the looks and the size. The GLE Coupe has a little bit of both, but the interior and some of the design details are lacking.
Let me start with the cabin, which doesn't have the latest waterfall center console as every other Merc and instead offers and old dash design with telephone buttons. That's like launching a new Blackberry phone without a touchscreen. And on top of that, everybody seems to agree the air vents and navigation display look like they came off the Cayenne.
The GLE Coupe's engines are pretty decent. There's a GLE 400 Coupe model that uses a 333 hp V6 engine, on par with any BMW or Audi mill in this class. It's followed by a 367 hp version of the same 3-liter unit, this time marketed as a performance model. Nobody has a powerful V6... except the Porsche Cayenne ... which has a lot more power.
What the new sports activity coupe lacks is one of those trick diesel engines, like the one used by the X6 M50d. Most American buyers will also complain that there's no V8 engine. Sure, you can't sell one in Europe, but in the States a 4.7-liter or 5.5-liter vee eight is considered standard for a large premium car. Heck, even Kia and Hyundai have a 5-liter V8 nowadays.
As far as I can tell, the best thing the GLE Coupe has going for it are the looks, which are going to appeal to most Mercedes fans. But what going to stop them from buying the ultra-sophisticated and modern S63 AMG Coupe instead?
That car deserves every award in the world for being gorgeous. And comparing the S-Coupe to the GLE Coupe is like choosing between Miranda Kerr and chubby Christina Aguilera. Hmmmm…. tough choice.
As a response to demand for cheaper cars with premium badges, Mercedes introduced a short coupe/fastback version of the C-Class in 2000, which we eventually got to know as the CLC-Class. It was never that technologically competent and it wasn't given access to the best engines, so nobody really bought one. In 2011, they replaced it with the W204 C-Class Coupe, the car everybody thinks of when you say "AMG Black Series". Needless to say, they got it right the second time.
The problem with the CLC was that Mercedes thought it could fix anything wrong with the car by using glossy videos, shiny paint and marketing, lots and lots of marketing.
I think they're doing it again with the GLE Coupe, a car that's supposed to rival the BMW X6, but doesn't actually seem up to the job. Most buyers don't really care about the finer details, like small weight differences or how many gears it has. All they want is the looks and the size. The GLE Coupe has a little bit of both, but the interior and some of the design details are lacking.
Let me start with the cabin, which doesn't have the latest waterfall center console as every other Merc and instead offers and old dash design with telephone buttons. That's like launching a new Blackberry phone without a touchscreen. And on top of that, everybody seems to agree the air vents and navigation display look like they came off the Cayenne.
The GLE Coupe's engines are pretty decent. There's a GLE 400 Coupe model that uses a 333 hp V6 engine, on par with any BMW or Audi mill in this class. It's followed by a 367 hp version of the same 3-liter unit, this time marketed as a performance model. Nobody has a powerful V6... except the Porsche Cayenne ... which has a lot more power.
What the new sports activity coupe lacks is one of those trick diesel engines, like the one used by the X6 M50d. Most American buyers will also complain that there's no V8 engine. Sure, you can't sell one in Europe, but in the States a 4.7-liter or 5.5-liter vee eight is considered standard for a large premium car. Heck, even Kia and Hyundai have a 5-liter V8 nowadays.
As far as I can tell, the best thing the GLE Coupe has going for it are the looks, which are going to appeal to most Mercedes fans. But what going to stop them from buying the ultra-sophisticated and modern S63 AMG Coupe instead?
That car deserves every award in the world for being gorgeous. And comparing the S-Coupe to the GLE Coupe is like choosing between Miranda Kerr and chubby Christina Aguilera. Hmmmm…. tough choice.
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