Despite the financial crisis that plagued the automotive industry in 2009, car manufacturers such as Mercedes-Benz haven’t given up from trying to reach more niche markets. Unlike other companies who are afraid that their attempt at tapping into a niche segment would simply draw popularity and thereby kill the main purpose of exclusivity, Mercedes-Benz has plans is to introduce a shooting brake concept, something the company has never tried but is boldly considering.
News of this actually comes after fellow German rival BMW talked to the media about creating a shooting break model of their future 6 Series. It seems Mercedes-Benz wants to enter the fray instead of just passively sit around. Autobild magazine thus reports that Daimler’s breadwinner is considering a shooting brake concept that shall be included in the C-Class range. And since the C-Class is about to be reworked, a shooting break variant would be very much welcome.
If successful, the C-Class shooting break will be called the CLC, and should be something of a mix between a sedan and a wagon, although very much sleeker. The image above, however, is a CLS Shooting Break concept. Although the CLC would probably take up similar design cues. More details to follow, but right now, we’ll leave you to your imagination.
Did you really think Mercedes-Benz really let BMW get away with their 1/3 Series Coupe’s success across the globe? Think again, fellow Insider. Because Mercedes-Benz isn’t going to take this sitting down. Not without a fight. It hasn’t been made public, though. That’s why we’re doing you a favor, by releasing spy photographs of the replacement for the leaves-much-to-be-desired CLC. Right now, they’re calling it the C-Class Coupe, but who knows what it’ll be called once it makes its public debut?
Rumors say that it should hit show floors as early as June or July next year. They also say that it’s going to be based largely on the existing, highly respected C-Class platform. No less than Mercedes-Benz US CEO Ernst Lieb revealed to media back in March that their company is coming up with more variants of the C-Class. With this move, Mercedes-Benz is aiming to gain higher ground against its fellow German rival BMW who offers the 3 Series in all forms—coupe, sedan, convertible and wagon.
If successfully launched, the new C-Class Coupe will join the ranks of the new E-Class Coupe, and shall boast of engine specifications that are already being used in the current C-Class range. If you’re already envisioning a 5.5-liter V8-powered AMG variant, well then that leaves much to be desired, doesn’t it?
In this business, you got to have the guts to let go of things that just aren’t performing up to the least of your expectations. And that’s what Mercedes-Benz is about to do with their little hatch, the CLC. It just isn’t attracting enough buyers to keep it in the production line ever since production started way back in 2008.
It doesn’t help that Mercedes-Benz decided to keep it away from the North American market. Even though in other markets, the CLC and the original C-Class Sport Coupe were mildly popular, it still doesn’t add up for redemption. So you can’t really blame Mercedes-Benz for deciding to drop it from production.
The CLC is currently being manufactured in the Juiz de Fora plant in Brazil. But the place is going to be reorganized and restructured to focus production of Mercedes-Benz’s popular heavy-duty commercial truck, the Actros. And here’s the clincher—there’s no word yet whether production of the CLC will be moved elsewhere—so that about wraps up any suspicion that it will be sacked.
But don’t worry. Mercedes-Benz might still surprise you with the next generation of the CLC, but that time will only come when a brand new version of the C-Class comes out, which will probably take at least a couple of years. And, yes—it’s probably never going to reach US soil either. So just keep your fingers crossed.
Well here is something you’ve never seen, a real C-Class Coupe. Well by real we mean it’s not the current CLC sports coupe, which is kinda of a hatchback if you really think about it. Artist Rendy Alfonso, from modtor.com, has send us a computer illustration of what he feels the “real” C-Class Coupe should look like. We certainly understand his motivation here, but most importantly, we dig his design. Head over to his site and download the original illustration in wallpaper formats.
Selected airports in Europe will become places where automobile dreams can come true. A large bed, positioned between the check-in counter and the rows of seats for waiting passengers, will invite potential customers to take a test drive in the new Mercedes-Benz CLC sports coupe. This highly unusual marketing activity is part of a wide-ranging campaign to mark the launch of the new CLC. The central slogan of the campaign, which extends across the full range of marketing channels, is “What car do you drive when you’re dreaming?” And its key message is that for a mere €28,000 the CLC offers an attractive and reasonably priced entry into the Mercedes-Benz coupe family.
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