Baby Merc coupe turns on the style.

Byline: By Edward Stephens MOTORING EDITOR

THE name has changed and so - to a large extent - has the look.

The new CLC is now the entry level model in the Mercedes-Benz line up of coupes, taking over the mantle from the C-Class Sports Coupe.

But the newcomer still owes much to its predecessor - retaining the shape and the same underpinnings.

Good sales of the Sports Coupe led Mercedes to adopt a "if it's not broke don't fix it" attitude on that score.

What the new car does have, however, is far smarter styling, better fuel consumption, lower emissions and a host of new features.

The plan is to make it appeal to a wider customer base in a bid to overtake the 320,000 sales figure of the Sports Coupe.

It's smart thinking really because Mercedes knows the appeal of this car is to the young and young at heart, and more importantly its statistics show that two thirds of people who were introduced to the brand by buying one of the entry level coupes have gone on to buy other vehicles in the company's stable.

The most noticeable difference is at the front of the car where fresh new styling gives it a pronounced arrow shape to create a more dynamic look. Virtually everything at the front has been changed. The bonnet, the grille, the bumpers are all new as is the large air intake which gives the car its more muscular appearance.

The new look rear is created with smaller rear lamps which are narrower but wider to "stretch" the car and make it loook lower and sleeker.

The re-styled and deeper rear bumpers also add to the illusion.

And while the new CLC line-up retains the same engines as those used in the Sports Coupe these have been revamped so that, on average, you now get eight per cent better fuel consumption and seven per cent lower CO2 emissions.

There is a choice of four different petrol engines and two diesel, with the entry level 1.8-litre, 143bhp CLC1800 Kompressor, priced from pounds 19,920, expected to be the best seller in the UK.

Customers looking for even more power can opt for the 184bhp CLC200 Kompressor, the 204bhp CLC 230 or the range-topping 272bhp CLC 350.

Diesel enthusiasts have the choice of either the 122 bhp CLC200 CDI or the 150 bhp 220 CDI, both two litre units, with prices from pounds 20,015.

Whichever engine you opt for you can have the car in either SE or Sport guise.

All models now get parking sensors front and rear as standard as well as automctic climate control.

The Sport option is pounds 1,100 extra but for that you get 18-inch alloy wheels instead of 16 inch, sports suspension, metallic paint, Artico (synthetic leather) upholstery and a stainless steel exhaust.

You also get a sports steering wheel which, on automatic models also means paddles behind the steering wheel for the first time on the entry level coupe for manual gearchanging.

Pay the extra for the Sport option and you get the new direct steering system, which is speed sensitive and offers a variable rack ratio. That means you only have to turn the wheel slightly on bends and corners to get the response you want, making for a far more sporty drive and better feedback to the driver. wheel slightly on bends and corners to get the response you want, making for a far more sporty drive and better feedback to the driver.

On the road the CLC handles well in all its forms soaking up the miles with ease while at the same time leaving the driver relaxed.

The Sport in particular sits rigidly on the highway no matter how hard you push it on bends.

When I tried out the new range prior to the first deliveries ariving with UK customers this June there was not a 180 Kompressor (0-62 mph 9.7 seconds top speed 137 mph) available but the 200 Kompressor, which also uses the 1.8-litre engine, showed just why these cars have proved so popular.

The supercharger on both models means you get punchy acceleration with good mid range performance.

The five speed manual gearbox is slick and precise while the direct steering is pin sharp and a delight to use. The car is also impressively quiet no matter what speed you are travelling at.

The automatic version of the 220 CDi I tried offered even better mid range flexibility with seamless gearchanges and impressive kickdown response. You will pay pounds 1,050 extra for the fivespeed automatic box over the manual. This "tweeked" diesel engine now averages 47.9 mpg - five miles per gallon more than the engine on the outgoing Sports Coupe.

As with many coupes the headroom in the rear can be limiting but at 5ft 8ins tall I found no such problem. A member of the Harlem Globetrotters sitting in the back, on the other hand, would surely end up with a bruised head or a stiff neck.

The car is only designed for two people in the rear but the leg and shoulder room afforded to both is ample even for long distance journeys.

Coupes are cars which people buy as much with the heart as the head. Often they are dream cars rather than the more sensible four-door options. Either way Mercedes believes the new CLC will continue to attract first time customers of all ages to the brand. And despite the youthful appearance of the car it's not always the youthful customer who buys it. In fact the average customer's age is higher the further north you travel in Europe.

In Germany and the Scandinavian countries the average buyer's age is 50 while in Spain it's 35. In this respect at least we in the UK fall in line with Spain.

So in the coming months you can presumably expect to see a lot of grinning 30+ year-olds showing off their sleek new acquisitions.

CAPTION(S):

ENTRY LEVEL... fresh new styling creates a more dynamic look for the Mercedes-Benz CLC.