If there was ever a brand that signified luxury, safety and innovation, that brand would be Mercedes-Benz, for decades they've led the roost in producing cars that were admired by all, and when one purchased a car with the three-pointed star, it brought about a sense of accomplishment not only for the owner but for those around them too, a sort of "I own a Benz now, I made it in life". Till today the brand still has that level of superiority over the others in the market, even though some of their competitors are making better cars than Stuttgart based brand, something I feel that the brand themselves have started to realise, hence a kick up their own arse was required. In my family, we've owned two Mercedes-Benz models, both made in the late 80's but whenever we drove in them, there was that sense of snobbery we felt when driving in such luxury, something that many felt was drowned out in some of the later models, having never tested a car from the brand before, getting the call to have my first test car booked was pretty exciting. I was very happy that it was from the C-Class line, a car that I witnessed in its W204 generation being manufactured in the plant in East London, the very same plant that this car was assembled in, so it was nice knowing that my first test car from Merc started its journey of life on local shores.
DESIGN
The new C-Class design just exudes luxury, with its sleek lines and dynamic curves, mimicking the bigger brother the S-Class in a slightly more compact frame. I say slightly because the C-Class is by no means a small car, it measures just over 4.7 meters in length and 2 meters wide. The look is claimed to be dynamic and progressive with Mercedes-Benz looking to minimize the lines with a more smoother sculptured surface, which translates in a minimalistic design. This gives the car a great overall look of a unique blend of sportiness and luxury that many other brands fail to hit on the head. With the cars wider stance and sleek appearance, it looks like its going to devour the road in front of it, with the newly designed diamond grille with in star design to the striking new headlamps with LED technology, it certainly looks the part when looking at it from head on. The rear of the car is stylish with the two-section tail lights encompassing a beautiful LED design which are mesmerizing when illuminated. The interior design is nothing short of blissful luxury, with the perforated leather seats looking very inviting to all. The futuristic design of the dash which is part of the new MB design language that has also been adopted in some of the EQ models is very unique and sets the brand apart from its competitors. Overall a very visually please place to be.
PERFORMANCE
When Merc first released the engine details on the new W206 models, many were surprised by the sizes, the much loved C200 was now being powered by a 1.5L turbo with a mild hybrid power plant. What is this "mild hybrid" thing you talk about you must be asking? No, its not a sauce from Nandos, Mercedes actually call it a second-generation integrated starter generator but I think my way is the best way to describe this tech as the car having an electrical unit to help the petrol combustion engine achieve an additional boost when required without using more fuel, this helps in the overall fuel consumption. So to explain further, the engine itself produces 150kW and 300Nm of torque but thanks to this additional power boost, an additional 15kW and 200Nm can be achieved and the results are astounding! 0-100km/h time comes in at 7.3 seconds which wont flutter and eyelids but let me tell you, when this car builds up speed, it does so very very quickly! I cannot being to explain the drive feel of this car, smoothness is taken to another level, and while many won't appreciate it at first, when you realise how low the car sits to the floor and the large rims with low profile tyres, you tend to gather that the ride should be a bit more harsh but it isn't, this is also helped with agility control with suspension that has selective damping system which lowers the car at higher speeds to obtain a better drag coefficient. The cars sleek gear changing thanks to its 9G-tronic automatic gearbox also helps keep the revs down and maximises that power build up and boost. Overall, very impressed with the overall drive of this car, really doesn't feel like a motor that is under 2L in capacity and gave me a very decent fuel consumption in the week I spent with it.
COMFORT
Mercedes-Benz is known for its luxury and the new W206 C-Class lives up to that notion with a cabin based on the range topping S-Class. The standout feature without a doubt is the large infotainment screen that adorns the center of the dash, measuring in at 11.9" it dominates attention from anything else. Many say that it is unnecessarily large and might prove to be a distraction for the driver but I never found this to be the case. The driver gets a tablet styled instrument cluster that is also fully digital and can customized for each individuals preferences. The new MBUX interface is easy to use and with the large screen makes it even easier to see and do things. Connecting the mobile device was a synch and with wireless phone projection made it even easier to control things like satellite navigation, music and calls. The rest of the dash can be finished in a number of styles in materials but it is made out of this plastic that has a cheap feel and touch, visually it looks stunning but I just think they could have used a higher grade of material on this part. The rest of the detailing is stunning, with high gloss finishes for areas around the center storage and doors. Styling of the interior door arm rests are very modern and looks cool. The stitching and finishes on the seats are nothing short of sublime with seat heating options for the driver and front passenger as optional extra. This particular model coming with the AMG package had the sport type multifucntion steering wheel, which for me was a bit too much buttons and did too little to justify their place on there. Maybe its just my first time with the car so I wasn't sure on how to use it 100%. The ambient lighting which really turns the cabin into a spaceship at night, has an array of colours both singular or dual tone to set the mood for every occasion. It really is such a great feature that is subtle but quite eye catching at the same time. Space at the rear is much better than most of its competitors with a decent amount of leg and head room for adults, giving you a semi limo like feel. The car comes with thermotronic automatic climate control with 4 zones for each passenger. Sound wise, this particular model came with the standard Burmester sound system which I must be honest, didn't do much for me, but I'll reserve my right to comment once I hear the premium sound package.
VERDICT
So what was my first proper experience with a new generation Mercedes-Benz like? Well overall, I quite enjoyed it, its a stylish car that draws a lot of attention as it would, there were certain things that disappointed me but not to the point where I would slate the car and the engineering because there is nothing I can really fault on that aspect. The direction in which the brand is heading to seems to be the correct path to have combustion engines still having some relevance going forward as the change over to pure EV cannot happen overnight for numerous reasons. The safety in the C-Class is unmatched, with the list of standard safety features being long and extensive, stuff like adaptive high beam assist, LED performance headlamps, which most other brands have as optional extras being standard on this car is a win in my book. The ergonomics of the car just work brilliantly for the driver and the occupants. The luggage capacity is massive as well, so you can pack this baby up and go on a long drive for a holiday and it would perform like a champion. While the C-Class might not be the entry level Mercedes any more, it certainly plays the part is serves on the market, competing fiercely with its competitors and giving them something to think about. Apart from a very attractive package, the luxury, tech and the performance from the engine really makes this car complete product that is very persuading for prospective buyers.
SPECIFICATIONS
| Engine | 1.5L Turbo |
| 9G -Tronic | |
300Nm (200Nm boost) | |
Fuel economy | 7.2L/ 100km/h |
R957,200* |
*Base Price
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