Review Roundup Part Two: The Mercedes-Benz CLC And CL65 AMG

"For the enthusiast, the CLC has all the ingredients in place for a drive to savour, especially when fitted with the powerful 268bhp 3.5- litre V6 and a quick shifting six-speed. This arrangement recently left us almost breathless with enthusiasm in the SLK350 but how does it fare with the CLC?

On paper it certainly seems the business sprinting to 62mph in 6.3 seconds and only running out of steam when the limiter halts action at 155mph. It feels a completely different beast to the SLK and it should, because, despite sharing the same capacity as the sporty little roadster, the CLC misses out on the extra 32bhp the SLK's lump boasts. It's not just the extra power the CLC misses. Gone is the addictive howl, appetite for revs and general enthusiasm the small roadster's SLK V6 dished up.

Handling-wise the CLC 350's steering has been sharpened up by the addition of the variable ratio steering, but rivals have better balance and feel through corners: the CLC may have plenty grip, but it's not very agile, or even engaging, on cornering." For the complete review and others, visit www.eMercedesBenz.com