Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the new Concept Style Coupe (CSC) it will show at next week’s Beijing motor show. The mini-CLS four-door “coupe” shown here previews the new CLA, the A-class based sedan that will go on sale sometime next year, confirming that Mercedes is taking the shift of its smallest car away from the model’s current upright nana-car shape very seriously indeed.
“The Concept Style Coupé is expressive and powerful in its design”, said Dr Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes-Benz Cars. “We are staking our claim very clearly here. This is the model against which sporty vehicles in the executive segment will have to measure themselves in future.”
The production CLA’s obvious four-door rivals will be a saloon version of the new Audi A3 – also due next year – and a rumoured four-door version of the BMW 1-series, which is apparently being planned for a 2015 introduction.
While the CSC is clearly a one-off show car – something that Mercedes is at pains to point out – sources privy to the final look of the CLA apparently confirm the styling is largely faithful to the final production version, with more subtle bumpers and headlights, conventional wing mirrors and smaller wheels and tyres than on the show car.
The CSC chow car boasts a 2-litre direct injection four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, pumping out 155kW to all four wheels through a 7-speed automatic transmission.
While this powertrain is set to see the light in a CLA250-designated model, a range of petrol and diesel engines are expected to be offered, along with the option of all-wheel drive or front-wheel drive. An AWD AMG model is also in the works, that will boast a version of the CSC’s 2-litre turbo with the wick turned up.
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