Pursuing the brief appearance at Los Angeles Motor Show in 2012, Mercedes Benz will be announcing the world launch of its CSC (Concept Sports Coupe) at Beijing International Auto Show next week. Motivation for the all-new Concept Sports Coupe comes from a turbocharged petrol 2.0 litre engine, which is good for pulsating 214PS of power. The engine is mated to a 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission with the company’s 4MATIC four-wheel drive system that sends power to all the four wheels. It borrows design cues from the Concept A-Class and will be at the event in a new paint scheme, Alubeam, highlighting its design lines.
Dr. Dieter Zetsch, Chairman of Board of Management at Daimler AG and Head of Mercedes Benz Cars stated that the CSC (Concept Sports Coupe) is powerful and expressive in its design. They are staking their claim very clearly here. This is the model against which sporty cars in the executive class will have to measure themselves. This long 4-door 4637mm sports coupe is a tad longer unlike the present C-Class, nevertheless, the next-generation C-Class will be larger pushing the Concept Sports Coupe just above the A-Class in terms of size. Externally, it gets headlamps that turn red in standby mode and indicators light up in succession also add to the aggressive stance of the vehicle. 21-inch wheels deliver power to the tarmac, while carrying the same sporty design. Absence of a B-pillar and frameless windows also add to the continuous design.
The interior of Mercedes Benz Concept Sports Coupe gets a carbon fiber wing like trim panel, which stretches across the cockpit for emphasizing avant garde design. The anthracite color and light grey also sport neon piping, which flows all through the cockpit, including the air conditioning vents, instrument cluster, steering wheel, door panels and seats. The instrument cluster is upholstered in Alcantara; and all chrome elements now feature black anodized finish for the first time. As with the Concept A-Class, the air vents change color and are backlit according to the temperature inside the cockpit –red for warm, fluorescent green for midrange temperature and blue for cool. It comes equipped with COMAND online vehicle infotainment system where new apps for the vehicle can be transferred and downloaded using a mobile phone connection, thus reducing workshop visits.
The Concept Sports Coupe is likely to reach Indian shores, but there is no official statement from the Stuttgart-based automaker. It should come with a higher preference to diesel powerplants for the country. Mercedes Benz was piped by Audi in 1st quarter 2012 sales, landing in No.3 position marketing 2,130 units unlike BMW’s 2,369 vehicles and Audi’s 2,269 units. As per The Times of India, it mentioned of its competitors in the Indian car market as marketers of ‘no-frill’ models which are moderately affordable. Mr. Debasis Mitra, Sales and Marketing Director at Mercedes Benz India stated that their customers don’t compromise and stripped-down models aren’t for them. They aren’t marketing commodity, but luxury. Numbers are not the prime focus today.