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EAUTY, intelligence and awesome power-we all wish we had them. But Mercedes' new cars seem to have them all, in spades. First there was the divine SLK, then the thought provoking A-class city car and most recently the butch M-class 4*4. Can the ambitious German car maker do anything wrong at the moment?.
Judging by these new models, you would think not. But if you have even the merest shadow of a doubt, take a look at Mercedes' new CLK. Convinced? So were we. T he company's elegant coupe is based around the latest E-class, and will grace our shores in June. It's no cut price coupe, however, CLK ownership starts at around �25,000, which buys the 200 - a 2.0-litre, four seater petrol model in either Sports or Elagance trim. The 200 is never going to be a ball of fire, with only 134bhp on tap, and buyers won't choose it for performance. They are more likely to be tempted by that seductive body. For a little more cash, you can up the power to 190bhp with the 230 model, which is more in keeping with a coupe's image, you'll need �30.000 to do so, but the 2.3-litre, four cylinder supercharged engine has proved itself well in the C-Class and SLK, and is worth the outlay.
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For the ultimate CLK experience, though, you need the 320 with the 214bhp 3.2-litre powerplant. As with the other two models, there's a choice of either Sport or Elagance specification, and again the price rises, this time to �35,000. This version is fitted with the company's latest five-speed automatic gearbox, which will be offered as an option on the 200 and 230.
While the CLK is derived from the E-Class, it does actually have a look all of its own. The designers have reworked the whole body, and the end result is a model, with a character and appeal that's unique. I nside there's masses of space for four adults - five will not fit, as the rear seat is sculped for two and the overall feel is more grand that the crampt coupe.
The dashboard is softer and more rounded than the company's usual offerings and, with the two tone colour scheme, its brighter, too.
 Sport trim adds black on white dash dials and carbon fibre-effect panneling round the centre console, which may not be to everyone's taste. S tarting the new V6 engine is an experience itself. Mercedes has done away with a 'key' on the CLK, and in its place comes a miracle of technology which operates like a conventional key, but sets hi-tech security codes which change each time you switch the engine off. On the road the CLK leaps forward with enthusiasm, sprinting from 0-60mph in a claimed 7.2seconds-mighty impressive for a car of this size. The accompanying soft-engined growl from the V6 is an added bonus, but don't think the CLK is unrefined-it's anything but that.
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