It's actually pretty special two-door coupés are still being built.
In the old days, it was more than normal,
and Mercedes has explored that territory quite well, but today we can see the two-door coupés cope with lower sales numbers.
Just look at cars in the A-, B-, and C-segments, most of them don't even get two-door versions.
They're all five-door cars, because two-door cars just are impractical.
Mercedes-Benz however, keeps on going. Today, they're presenting their new E-Class Coupé,
and we're going to drive it.
When it comes to coupés in its range, Mercedes is the absolute recordholder.
Count with me if you will. You've got the C, the CLA, the E,
the GLC, the GLE, the S, and the AMG GT.
Right, the last one is a sports car, but all of them are coupés.
Seven coupés! That's a lot for one brand.
Right now, we're driving the new E-Class Coupé.
What engines are available, you may ask. Well, at todays introduction you've got the 200,
a petrol engine producing 184 horsepower. Then, you've got the 300, which isn't a 6-in-line but a 4-cylinder.
That one produces 245 horsepower. Next to that you've got a turbocharged V6 in the 400,
the V6 is always connected to a 4Matic. Lastly: we've got a diesel, and that's the one we're driving right now.
The 220d, producing 194 horsepower. In time, we'll probably see a 43 AMG and a 63 AMG hit the dealers as well.
It's a pretty nice engine, especially in combination with the 9-speed automatic gearbox which we're driving right now.
There's a lot of torque, and that's something you notice when cruising down the highway.
You can travel at 130 km/h in the ninth gear, reaching 1,500 RPM's.
That's awfully nice and quiet. And it's very capable of doing so,
there isn't any grunt at whatever revs you're driving.
That really is perfect.
Right, if you're driving a little bit more sporty, like we just did in the mountains,
you'll notice that this diesel engine comes a little bit short. The torque has to be distributed over a short range,
that's why it has to change gear quite quickly.
So that isn't the strongest point of a diesel engine. Nevertheless, it's got enough power and torque,
so you'll still fly up the mountain.
But for the experience, a petrol engine which can rev a little more
and produces a better noise, is more fun in my opinion.
Right, the interior in this car is very similar to the E-Class Limousine, especially the dashboard.
The air vents are different though, the design has been inspired by jet engines.
I'm not making this up, and if you look at them, they do kind of look like jet engines.
They look great and are nice to control. It feels nice, the materials are good,
just like you'd expect from a car in this segment.
If we're looking at this exact version, we've got lots of options.
It's got chilled seats, which can also be electrically adjusted, it's got a Burmester sound system...
In short; in ten years, this car will be listed as fully loaded on a occassion-website.
because it's really got everything aboard.
If we compare the measurements of the coupé to the limousine, we can see the coupé is about 10 cm shorter.
It's also got a slightly shorter wheelbase, but still it's 50 kg heavier.
And if we take a look at the boot, we can also see it's smaller.
It's got 425 litres of luggage space, as opposed to the 540 litres you get in the sedan.
I also got in the back, and getting in is a bit of a challenge,
because you don't have rear doors. The seats go forwards pretty far though.
A little electrical motor pulls the seat all the way forward, so it's like an easy-entry system.
And if you get in the back, you'll notice that,
even me with my length, the room is pretty decent.
Even I have an okay seating position.
The headroom is also good.
Something you should keep in mind, it's a two-seater in the rear,
so it's kind of a 2+2. It doesn't have a full rear seat,
but spacious enough.
'Das Beste oder nichts' is what Mercedes states in their commercials. If I project that phrase on this car,
the only thing I can do is nod. They're absolutely right.
Just look at the building quality, the driving quality, the great finishing and interior,
it really is of the highest level.
So, you really get the best for your money.
Right, what's the operating field of this E-Class Coupé?
You should think of cars like Audi A5 Coupé, the BMW 4-series, the Cadillac ATS and the Lexus RC300h.
Just some coupé you would be able to put next to this car.
In that segment, this E-Class can absolutely hold its ground.
The pricing is placed between €56.000 and €89.000. Not very cheap, especially considering it's smaller than the car it's based on,
but it does get you a nice looking, but mostly a very good car to drive.