1998-2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK: Overview

Vehicle Highlights

A sporty offshoot of Mercedes' C-Class sedan, the CLK320 put the German automaker's rear-wheel-drive luxury qualities into a coupe body style. Slightly longer and lower than a C-Class, the CLK got unique styling marked by an oval-lamp nose, like its larger E-Class sedans. A 3.2-liter V6 engine went under the hood, driving a 5-speed automatic transmission. Mercedes' first V6 engine, it was an overhead-cam unit with three valves per cylinder. ASR traction control and front side airbags were standard. Antilock brakes also were standard, with Mercedes' "Brake Assist" feature. That system interpreted certain rapid brake-pedal movement as a panic-stop situation and automatically applied full braking force. A new "Smart Key" antitheft ignition system used a coded electronic data link instead of a regular key. The "BabySmart" child-seat recognition system deactivated the passenger-side airbags when a special Mercedes-designed child seat was in place. An antiskid Electronic Stability Program was optional. CLK coupes rode 16-inch tires and had a standard 60/40 split folding rear seat, as well as dual power-forward front seats. A new option was available: rain-sensing wipers that varied the speed of the intermittent sweep. Rivals included the BMW 3-Series, Saab 9-3, and Volvo C70.