The Mercedes-Benz CLC is the name given to the three-door hatchback coupé of the W203 C-Class generation, previously sold as the C-Class SportCoupé and coded CL203. It was a compact, cheaper alternative to the CLK coupé.
Mercedes-Benz CLC at a glance
| Internal code | CL203 |
|---|---|
| First shown | October 2000 |
| On sale | from 2001 |
| Body | three-door hatchback coupé |
| Based on | W203 C-Class |
| US model | C 230 Kompressor, 2.3-litre supercharged four, 194 hp |
| New engine family | M271 1.8-litre supercharged, from 2002 |
| Built | about 230,000 between October 2000 and 2007 |
| Factories | Bremen and Brazil |
| Renamed | CLC-Class |
| End of production | 2011 |
The CLC is described in the English Wikipedia articles on the W203 and the C-Class; this page uses those sections. Free photographs of the CLC were not found, so the record keeps its earlier picture.
History of the Mercedes-Benz CLC
The C-Class SportCoupé was presented in October 2000 and went on sale in 2001 as the three-door body of the W203 generation. It was shorter than the saloon and aimed at buyers who wanted a compact coupé rather than the larger CLK. In the United States it was sold from the 2002 model year as the C 230 Kompressor, with a 2.3-litre supercharged four-cylinder engine of 145 kW (194 hp) and 280 Nm.
For 2003 the whole C-Class range, including the SportCoupé, received a new family of supercharged four-cylinder engines, the M271. All used the same 1.8-litre block with different outputs, and a natural-gas version was also available. The C 230 Kompressor moved to 141 kW (189 hp); the new engine was slightly less powerful than the 2.3 but smoother and more efficient. Four-wheel drive was offered on the C 240 and C 320 saloons, but the SportCoupé remained rear-wheel drive.
Production of the SportCoupé ran from October 2000 to 2007, with about 230,000 cars built at Bremen and in Brazil. It was dropped from Canada and the United States after the 2005 model year but stayed on sale elsewhere until 2008, when it was renamed the CLC-Class. The CLC continued until 2011, when the coupé version of the W204 C-Class replaced it.
Design and features
- Hatchback body: a three-door coupé with a tailgate, unique in the C-Class range.
- C-Class platform: the same underpinnings as the W203 saloon and estate.
- Supercharged engines: the 2.3-litre M111 and later the 1.8-litre M271.
- Lower price: a cheaper entry to the C-Class range than the saloon.
Mercedes-Benz CLC versions
- SportCoupé (2001–2008): the original name of the car.
- C 230 Kompressor: the US model with the 2.3-litre engine.
- M271-engined cars: from 2003 with the 1.8-litre supercharged engine.
- CLC-Class (2008–2011): the renamed and facelifted version.
The CLC was part of the C-Class family and a smaller relative of the CLK. More in the Mercedes-Benz collection.
Sources
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class (W203), English Wikipedia: SportCoupé, engines, production
- Mercedes-Benz C-Class, English Wikipedia: renaming to CLC and end of production
