Mercedes - CLK Euro NCAP - Not yet rated
Mercedes prestige Coupe and Cabriolet contender is an instant hit with its sleek stylish good looks, polished performance and smooth cosseting drive.
A true classy and spacious 4 seat grand tourer, made even more special on a sunny day with the remote controlled roof on a cabriolet neatly stashed away
The Coupe comes in a range of 19 models - 13 petrol engines and 6 diesels ranging from the supercharged 1.8 petrol in the 200 Kompressor through to the extraordinary CLK 63 AMG V8 delivering 481bhp and 0-62mph in 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 155mph. The Cabriolet is available a 13 model, all petrol engine range, which includes the class's first eight-cylinder motors. The AMG again topping the range.
Although offering a punchy and polished performance the diesel still offers good refinement and wallet friendly frugality.
For a vehicle of its class and performance the CLK 270, with an E rating on the VED Banding scale, returns impressive fuel consumption figures of 56.5mpg extra urban and 44.80mpg combined..
Equipment levels in the Coupe and Cabriolet mirror each other, so all models have climate control, alloy wheels, and a CD player.
Although the CLK has yet to get a Euro NCAP safety rating you can rest easy in the knowledge that Mercedes was the 2007 winner of the prestigious Whatcar? Safety Award. Loaded with safety features the CLK feels as safe as fort knox. As with all Mercedes-Benz cars there are no deadlocks, but perhaps its an indication of how highly they rate the cars safety. Twin front, side and curtain airbags and an electronic stability programme are fitted to all models. Rear side airbags are optional. All CLK models have anti-lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution, as well as electronic stability control and an alarm and remote central locking.
All models come with a 3 year unlimited mileage warranty. In addition you also get a 3 year paint and 12 year anti-corrosion warranty.
About the manufacturer
DaimlerChrysler is committed to at spectrum of pioneering technologies designed to cut fuel consumption and emissions in cars and commercial vehicles. Their 'Energy For The Future' initiative includes; Optimisation of Petrol and Diesel Technology;
Improvement in Conventional Fuels; Production Related Environmental Protection; Development of Regenerative and Synthetic Fuels; Development of alternatives such as Hybrid echnology, Smart ev (zero emissions and up to 72 mpg) and Fuel Cells (water is the only tailpipe emission).
The new Mercedes S class received the world's first environmental certificate for a car when it received certification by TUV. The new C class was the second car ever to be awarded certification.
A true leader in fuel cell transportation, DaimlerChrysler has spent more than U.S $1 billion in fuel cell vehicle research and development. As at Sept 2006, no other manufacturer had accumulated more vehicles or data or driven more zero-emission miles - 1.3 million miles (approx. 2.1 million kilometres).
The DaimlerChrysler fuel cell vehicle fleet is diverse - in addition to several research vehicles it includes more than 30 Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses, which are in operation in Europe, United States, Western Australia, Japan, China and Singapore. As part of the world's largest fleet of fuel cell vehicles, DaimlerChrysler has more than 100 fuel cell vehicles with customers around the world.
DaimlerChrysler pioneered fuel cell vehicle technology more than a decade ago. Fuel cells release energy from the reaction of hydrogen with a catalyst and oxygen. This clean technology operates at a high level of efficiency and is true zero-emissions. Hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicles emit only pure water vapour as exhaust. DaimlerChrysler works closely with Ballard Power Systems to develop the fuel cell stack.
Daimler is also looking into biofuels and synthetic fuels and have a project manufacturing Biodiesel made from wild Jatropha shrubs which thrive in poor soil conditions in India. Sundiesel is an advanced 2nd generation biofuel project manufacturing a high quality fuel from Biomass such as wood chippings, with no engine modifications needed.