The problem with the 2002-2005 CL203 SportCoupé (in the US anyway) was that every other Mercedes owner immediately knew you were driving the bottom of the barrel in the Mercedes world. Also Americans have ALWAYS viewed 3-door hatchbacks as economy cars. So instead of imparting the air of Mercedes superiority you just looked cheap to everyone. It's the same reason so many customers in Europe who bought an SLK200 (not even available in the USA) removed their SLK200 trunk badge. It said to everyone, "This is all I can afford."

BMW met the same fate a little earlier in the USA with their 3-series hatchback, in the 1990s I believe. Mercedes should have been paying attention.