2016 Mercedes-Benz C 250 d AMG Line Coupé UK first drive

The new Mercedes C-Class Coupé is more than just a three-door version of the C-Class saloon, that’s for sure. This sporting take on Merc’s staple compact executive shares only its wings and bonnet with the saloon and gets a different take on the multi-link front suspension set-up, 15mm lowered ride height and tweaked steering software. 

The question is, does this slippery-looking new coupé live up to its sports car billing even on UK roads, and when fitted with the twin-turbocharged 2.1-litre diesel and new nine-speed automatic gearbox?

It's really very good - substantially sharper overall than the saloon. Sure, it’s not a car that feels overtly pointy and eager the minute you set off; rather, it feels quite calm, yet connected enough through the noticeably improved steering to satisfy in the everyday muddle of busy town or motorway commuting.

The new nine-speed automatic gearbox is another big improvement over the seven-speeder that you still currently get with the C 250 d saloon. Step-off is smooth and progressive, and shifts are well blurred even in vigorous driving, which lets you make the most of the gruff-sounding but impressively gutsy diesel.

Give it everything and you get a pause on kickdown and a slight shunt on upshifts, but it still shifts crisply and when you want it to, even if resorting to the paddles is still the more rewarding way to go in faster stuff.

There’s a real bite to the front end; it feels incisive as you turn in and the steering delivers an organic build-up of resistance through the corner. It’s not as darty-feeling as the quicker rack in a BMW 4 Series, but the slower, more natural feel of the Merc is arguably the more rewarding set-up.

What's less successful is the standard suspension on the AMG Line. The C-Class Coupé gets adaptive dampers and steel springs as standard regardless of trim, but the AMG Line model gets stiffer damper and spring settings than the Comfort suspension that's standard on the cheaper Sport model (the latter of which we haven't tried).

Even in the more forgiving of the drive modes, the AMG Line suspension feels busy over motorway surfaces, and with cornering forces involved can be reactive enough to a mid-corner bump to cause the car to lose traction momentarily.

We have tried the optional air suspension in the C 220 d Coupé on our awkward roads, which delivers a rewarding balance of soothing comfort without dulling the handling edge, so for the reasonable (in this class) extra cost of £895 for the air springs, we'd say it's a no-brainer. 

You’re unlikely to be disappointed with the interior, either. New sports seats are supportive and comfortable and include adjustable lumbar support as standard even in base Sport trim, while the dash looks smart with a tactile blend of materials and finishes.

Some might not like the way the 7.0in colour screen looks tacked on rather than integrated, and the system takes some getting used to with its overly complex menus and controls, but the graphics are crisp and you’ve got all the functionality you could want, including sat-nav, Bluetooth, DAB and full connectivity for your phone or MP3 player.