O n cursory glance, the sports coupe looks a lot like the C-class saloon from the front but that is where the likeness should end. A closer look will reveal that there are subtle changes even to the parts that look identical. The twin headlamps have a larger, bigger ellipse; not only is the front grille raked back more sharply but the apron below it is also new; the Merc badging is missing from the top of the bonnet; instead the sports coupe gets a centrally positioned three-pointed star on the grille in keeping with the trend of Merc sports cars. There have been changes made to all the body panels in an effort to achieve the wedge shape which gives it a more dynamic and powerful character. The rear end has been chopped off in a manner that is extremely graceful and sexy to boot. Mind you, the car does not look as if it is a saloon with a chopped off rear end. Instead it is a complete car by itself, more on the lines of a notchback. The wedge-shaped silhouette (the idea behind it being to give the car a forward surging look even at rest) is achieved by a long stretched out bonnet line, a large front overhang and an extremely short tail along with a high rear spoiler.

The sharply raked bonnet, the taut roofline and the wide doors consolidate the dynamic flow along the sides as does a waistline which runs across the top edge of the doors. While the body styling emphasises the dynamic character of the car the glass-line runs from the front windshield along the roof to the rear windscreen to culminate in the transparent strip below the rear spoiler. The continuous glass-line adds the promise of fun and flair to the aggressive, performance-oriented and provocative looks.

The editorial team was unanimous in pronouncing the sports coupe an extremely good-looking car with the rear end coming in for fulsome praise. But I have come across people who think that the rear ends in a sort of a rush, having to tie-up many loose ends in a very short space. But there is no denying that the rear end is extremely provocative (to say the least) and sexy, if one were to go by popular opinion.

Build quality is superb as usual and thankfully the CBUs are coming from Germany and not the US, so there should never be anything to complain about.

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