We experienced the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé less than two months before its launch at the Frankfurt motor show. The new coupé will arrive in the UK later this year, and is aimed at displaying its superiority over the Audi A5 and BMW 4 Series.

We saw a vehicle with minimal disguise this time, which showed that the new coupé is longer, lower and wider and displays a rather more aggressively athletic appearance than its predecessor. It features a plunging roofline, long frameless doors, a high boot lid and a sharply angled rear window.

The rear is a reminder of the recently launched S-Class Coupé. Ahead of that there are more similarities with the current C-Class Saloon, both sharing a high proportion of aluminium in the body panels.

The interior hosts two new front seats which are set lower to the ground. They’re enveloping and contoured shell-style seats that add to the sporty feel. They also feature inbuilt headrests as well as the mechanism from the C-Class Saloon that brings the seat belt forward from behind your shoulder when you get in. It’s actually of a 2+2 as the rear seats are separated by a console and they’re slightly further forward to accommodate that sloping roof. Two adults and two children would be the best fit for this car.

For the UK, there will be a range of engines featuring both petrol and diesel. They will reach from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder delivering 154bhp for the C200 Coupé base model up to a mighty twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 producing 503bhp in the C63 AMG Coupé.

The car we tried was between those two, a mid-range C300 Coupé. This had a 2.0-litre four-pot petrol engine giving 241bhp and 273lb ft of torque. As with all the cars in the range, you get a selection of options, including a six-speed manual gearbox or auto boxes with either seven or nine speeds, which deliver drive to either the rear as standard, or there is an optional 4Matic four-wheel drive system.

In the C300 Coupé you instantly feel more involved than in the current C-Class Saloon. The Coupé may have broader dimensions all round, but it’s also 90kg lighter, meaning that acceleration and general performance is brisk and smooth. There are also improved levels of mechanical refinement while there’s also less road noise. This in turn allows you to better experience the rasping exhaust note, particularly when the sports exhaust flap is opened.

The ride remains compliant, but the dampers have firmer rebound. The package includes not just those lower seats but also suspension lowered by 15mm for an overall lower centre of gravity. The anti-roll bars and bushings have been beefed up and there are optional 19in wheels shod with 225/40 tyres on the front and 225/35 on the rear. The combination gives low levels of roll in the corners, along with improved turn-in and impressive levels of lateral grip.

It looks like the Audi A5 and BMW 4 Series are going to have a very strong contender on their hands with the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupé. Compared to what went before, it is better dynamically, has more room and is also stylish in a muscular and athletic kind of way. All it needs is the right pricing.