zIt’s all part of product development. Some models will be phased out and new ones will replace them. Such life cycles have been part of the automotive industry and it has worked well.

It’s basically a two-fer for Merc. The German automaker will be phasing out the CLC saloon in favor of a new two-door C-class by 2011. The coupe will also take on the CLK’s role in the lineup.

“We went back and studied what made our coupes so popular in the past. If you look at some of the more successful two door models Mercedes-Benz has produced you can see a direct relationship between them and their four door stable mates,” an inside source told Autocar.

This car will have a short life span though as it is currently being developed using the current C-class platform. Merc is set to work on the next-gen platform soon. It’s just something to fill in the gaps to be left by two cars.

Mercedes will be unloading a lot of stuff on us come next month at the Geneva Motor Show. They’ll be showcasing not just one or two new models. They’ll be showing us five new ones. Those that will be on the stands: the new SL, SLK, CLC, CLS and CL. Now that’s a lot of new cars.

No doubt that it’s the new SL that would be the highlight for Mercedes. A new entry-level SL 280. It’s got a 231hp 6-cylinder engine that propels the car from 0-62 in 7.8 seconds. Pretty respectable especially since this is an entry-level car.

Another car to be shown is the new SLK (which technically debuted in Detroit last month), making its European debut. The new SLK sports a new front and rear design and sports a more poerful V6 SLK 350 engine. Joining it is the new CLC Sports Coupe which is a total redesign, offering performance upgrades for handling, an uprated engine that now dishes out 184hp and fuel-efficiency bump of 10.8%.

The last two would be a CLS 280 with a facelifted front fascia that sports a few tweaks inside and is now powered by a 3.0L V6 producing 231 horses. Finally, we will get to see the CL500 4MATIC that features a 388 hp V8 engine.

Source: Mercedes

Mercedes-Benz is at it again, revealing this entry-level CLC class sports coupe. It’s designed to target young drivers looking for an athletic looking car with the pedigree of the Merc badge.

The engines for the new CLC-class are designed to give at least 10% more fuel efficiency. Choices come in four four-cylinder and two six-cylinder engines that can dish horses starting from 122hp up to 272hp depending on the variant. Any choice from the wide range of engines can come with a choice between trannies. A six-speed manual is standard to all models but a five-speed automatic is available for the for the four-cylinder units, and the 7G-TRONIC seven-speed automatic can be slapped on for the V6. A sports choice also offers flappy-paddles.

The new CLC includes a new direct-steer system that promises to proper the car with a quick step on the corners. For comforts synonymous to the Merc badge, you get a state-of-the-art infotainment systems featuring a color display with DVD or hard disk navigation.

Source: Mercedes