CL203

Introduced in 2001 for the 2002 model year, the C-Class SportCoupé (codenamed CL203) was a three-door hatchback coupe with a fastback profile, based on the regular W203 C-Class range.

While the C-Class sedan and wagon had the traditional Mercedes horizontal bar grille with the hood ornament, the coupé had a star-grille front end. The coupé also had a swooping fastback roofline, and a functional rear spoiler at the short rear end that added downforce on the rear tires at high speeds. One exclusive option to the coupé was a panorama sunroof that was intended to make the rear seats feel less cramped. The coupé was seven inches (178 mm) shorter overall compared to the sedan but both share the same wheelbase length.

The 2002 C230 SportCoupé was powered by a 2.3-litre supercharged, four-cylinder motor, the same that had been available in the SLK-Class until that time. While some C-Class sedans were powered by V6 engines (especially for the Canadian and US markets), the C 230 Coupe had a standard 2.3-litre four cylinder engine with an intercooled supercharger (which the Germans call a Kompressor), dual overhead cams, and four valves per cylinder. It offered 192 horsepower at 5500 rpm and 200 lb·ft (270 N·m) of torque between 2500 rpm and 4800 rpm, more output than the 168 horsepower 2.6-litre V6 powering the C240 sedan. However, the supercharged inline-4 engine was considered to be coarse and noisy at the high end. The 6-speed manual gearbox was considered a disappointment compared to BMW and Audi's, so many reviewers recommended the 5-speed automatic Touch Shift transmission.

The following model year (2003), a new family of supercharged four cylinder engines, dubbed M271, debuted for the entire range C-Class range. All of them used the same 1.8 L engine, with different designations according to horsepower levels, including a version powered by natural gas. The 193 PS (142 kW/190 hp) engine, generating more than the 168 horsepower 2.6L V6 powering the C240, was initially available only in the C230K Sportcoupé but was later offered in the C230K Sport Sedan.

While BMW's 3-Series hatchback was criticized as looking like a full-sized 3-series with the rear chopped off, the Sportcoupé's fastback profile was considered a more stylist off-shoot of the C-Class sedan. While the C 230 base model enabled the automaker to reach a lower price point than existing models sold in North America, some suggested that the hatchback configuration (as "liftback" is almost never used in North America) and the "inexpensive Mercedes" moniker would undermine the marque which was traditionally composed of expensive cars. It also lacked standard leather seats and a CD player, amenities typically expected of German luxury imports (especially a Mercedes).

Like the BMW 3-Series hatchback, the Sportcoupé proved unpopular with the younger buyers it was targeted towards, due to high prices compared to the lower entry-level models it was competing against, as well as unfavorable exchange rates. Along with the C-Class Estate (wagon), the Sport Coupe was discontinued in Canada and the United States after the 2005 model year.

Although removed from the North American lineup in 2005, it continued on sale in other markets. From October 2000 until 2007, a total of 230,000 Sportcoupés were built in the Bremen factory and in Brazil.

Mercedes found that the Sportcoupé was a popular first Mercedes for new customers, 40 per cent of whom reportedly return to buy more expensive models later on.