By Ronan Glon
Friday, Apr 20th, 2012 @ 9:00 am
 
A new concept car shows that Mercedes-Benz is looking to capitalize on its successful CLS four-door "coupe" by sprinkling some of that swoopy sedan's styling magic on its smaller A-Class platform. Technically, the Concept Style Coupé is not set to debut until the Beijing Motor Show next week, but Mercedes-Benz assembled a small group of media in California for a sneak peak in a dimly-lit room.

The Mercedes Concept Style Coupé is 182 inches long, 74 inches wide, and 55 inches high. These dimensions make the concept longer and lower than a current-generation C-Class sedan but still well short of a CLS.

The Concept Style Coupé mixes styling cues from both the CLS-Class and the recently-launched A-Class. It borrows its frame-less door windows from the former, and its diamond-look grille from the latter. The diamond treatment is also applied to an air diffuser mounted at the rear of the car.

Under the concept-specific details such as the flush door handles and the skinny exterior mirrors, the Concept Style Coupé is remarkably close to the production car that it previews, which is rumored to be dubbed the CLA-Class.




The car's interior is again inspired by the A-Class. The dashboard is fitted with jet engine-like air vents that change color depending on what temperature the climate control is set to. The concept features a large panoramic roof which is expected to be available on high-end models once production starts.

Much like the bigger CLS, the Concept Style Coupé was designed to accommodate four passengers rather than five.

The Concept Style Coupé is powered by a new turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that is rated at 208 horsepower.

In the concept, power is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. When the car hits production, entry-level models will have to settle for front-wheel drive since the car will share a platform with the upcoming A-Class.

The Concept Style Coupé is packed with state-of-the-art features such as Mercedes' COMAND Online infotainment system. Occupants can also browse the internet via a dash-mounted screen if the vehicle is not moving.

The production version of the Concept Style Coupé will make its public debut next fall at the Paris Motor Show. It will be built in a new factory located in Kecskemét, Hungary, and it is scheduled to go on sale in early 2013.

Unlike the A-Class, the CLA-Class will almost certainly be offered in the United States.



Live photos by Mark Elias.

Official Images
  

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