The chic new Mercedes C-Class

The new Mercedes C-class has been revved up to take on the competition.

The Mercedes C-class was launched in India in 2001. It has, for quite some time, been the most obvious — or even perhaps — the only choice Indian buyers had if they wanted a German luxury car. The C-class has had a face-lift and two new engines but with more car-makers bringing their products to Indian shores, the current C-class failed to stand-up to competition from new and more refreshing cars like Audi and BMW.

However, the new third-generation Mercedes C-class, launched internationally in April, 2007, is coming to India soon, and its fresh looks and specifications should give it an edge over the competition. Read on for the complete test.

Style file

The soft-organic lines of the older Mercedes have been stretched on the new C-class giving it a bold and more confident shape designed with strong, straight lines. The new car is bigger than its predecessor; it is 55mm longer, 42mm wider and 18mm taller and the wheelbase has been extended by 45mm. Since Mercedes has added more safety features and comfort and refinement enhancing materials, the car had to be bigger.

For suspension, the new C uses conventional MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link set-up at the rear. Mercedes is offering trick dampers as standard on the new C. Called the Agility Control suspension, the dampers have the ability to alter the ride depending on road conditions and driving style (see box for details). The Indian version will come with a tweaked ‘rough road’ suspension to suit our roads. Besides, the new car also has an almost perfect 52.5/47.5 front/rear weight distribution.

Inside story

The interiors of the new C-class are a huge improvement on the older car. The fit and finish is superior and plastics on the dashboard feel soft and nice. The buttons and controls are built with the heft possessed by Mercs of yore, and the dark wood finish and hints of chrome lend an air of elegance to the cabin. After years of lagging behind BMW and Audi, Mercedes has come out with a cabin that can rival the best.

The new Merc being bigger than its predecessor, has a more spacious cabin and increased leg and shoulder room as well. The rear seats are more comfortable than the older car and offer more legroom and the front seats are comfortable too. However, while the front seats offer enough thigh support, the rear seats are a bit short on this. Visibility is great too, with the slim pillars making it quite an easy car to drive at intersections.

The best feature of the Mercedes is the manner in which this car can block out the outside world. Wind and tyre noise are minimal and only become audible once you get past 150kph. And this cabin has all the Mercedes trademark bits too — the generous front seat travel, the foot-operated parking brake and the single stalk that controls headlamps and wiper functions.

Under the hood

The new Mercedes comes with a 2.2-litre turbo-charged common-rail diesel that puts out 170bhp and a staggering 41.8kgm of torque from 2000rpm. That’s 27bhp and a massive 9.7kgm up on the previous C.

To achieve this, Mercedes fine-tuned its four-cylinder diesel. Up to 90 modifications have been made, including lowering the compression ratio to make way for added boost and better smoothness and using shorter connecting rods and new pistons for added punch.

The airflow of the motor has been improved towards this cause as well. Unfortunately, India will get the normal five-speed auto box instead of the 7G-tronic seven-speed gearbox. However, the normal gearbox is also quite competent and shifts are quick and easy.

The new C220 CDI takes 9.3 seconds to get to 100kph — a second quicker than the old C’s time. The new Merc delivered 9.5kpl in the city and 12.6kpl on the highway.

Final verdict

The new Mercedes C-class is a generation ahead of the car it is replacing. The new sharp styling is better than the older car and the new C-class is also more comfortable, has more space and drives brilliantly too. The steering is light without compromising on feel, while the new engine is more responsive and powerful and feels considerably more refined.

On the downside, it still isn’t as much fun as to drive a BMW. And, Mercedes hasn’t provided some essential equipment. Still, owning the new C-class is like owning a compact E and that can’t be a bad thing.


The Telegraph