First Drive: Mercedes-Benz new C-Class C 200

Sunday morning drives are not about going somewhere; these are more about escaping the routine and it doesn’t matter if you are still confined to city limits. In fact, in case of Mumbai, only such a drive will give you a chance and time to fully appreciate its beauty. So last Sunday, the Mercedes Classic Car Rally in South Mumbai seemed like a perfect plan for us, not just to enjoy the city but also appreciate few rare cars, right?... Almost!

We instead got our hands on the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the spiritual successor to the iconic 2014 S-Class, for a longish drive to Amby valley. We did miss the classics at the parade, but only so much, knowing we were with one of its future participants.

While the C-Class has always borrowed design cues from the S-Class design, the similarities in this generation of cars is rather obvious. The new C-Class looks almost like the S-Class from every angle and that is not a bad thing, since the S-Class is an absolute stunner.

Apart from the proportion, the only major difference in the front, is the grille. Where the S-Class gets a distinctive old school grille the one on the new sedan is sporty and more in line with Merc’s MFA cars. The headlamp design is the same as it gets the similar L-shaped LED DRLs that look classy and the stretched bonnet looks nice with subtle creases on each side. Contrary to the plush front, the bumper is sharp and aggressive; it blends well with the rest of the design and adds some character to the otherwise sombre front.

The side profile carries forward the company’s new design philosophy. It gets a bold shoulder line flowing from the headlamps all the way to the rear wheel arch and a similar waistline running along the wheelbase. The roof has a gentle slope towards the boot, with an overall design similar to the S but the boot looks bigger in proportion to rest of the car. It gets a chrome stripe along the side profile and windows as added bling. The alloy-wheels seem basic and could have been a little better at least on the launch variant.

I want to complain about the rear. It is once again a copy-paste job from the S-Class, but it doesn’t look as nice. The lamps are small, both in length and width and that makes the back look incomplete. The tailpipes are hidden behind the bumper and the chrome twin pipes we see here are part of the beauty treatment.

The new C-Class is one of the better looking cars from Mercedes. It is not as stately as the S-Class nor as aggressive and bold as the new MFAs. It is sleek, sporty and without doubt the best looking car in its segment – at least till the Jaguar XE arrives.

The cabin is different from all the other Mercedes cars we drove recently, yet somehow familiar. The Stuttgart-based manufacturer has taken bits from all the recent cars to create the interior of the new C. It gets a tablet-like screen that we see in all the entry-level models, but this one is a lot bigger and does not look like an aftermarket fitment. The pattern with three AC vents in the middle is also taken from these cars, but the circular design is similar to that of the S-Class. The fit and finish quality in here is starkly different from the entry-level models and on par with the E-Class. I am not a big fan of the centre console with gloss woody finish though as it reflects everything and leaves finger prints. Retaining the analogue watch was also a smart move; it clearly demarcates the difference between the C-Class and models below.

Space is no longer a problem in this sedan. Despite their blessed proportions, both Pratheek and Venkat can now sit side by side in the car. Both knee room and head room at the rear is more than acceptable, though thigh support is not optimum. The AC here provides decent cooling despite the panoramic sunroof and its thin fabric blind. The boot space at 480 litres would have been big enough without the space saver strapped to the floor but an interesting addition here is the 60:40 foldable rear seats that can be operated from the boot.

It has a sufficiently large features list starting with a Burmester surround sound system with 13 speakers, connected to the new age COMAND system which can be operated through the touchpad. Although I would rather use the buttons to operate the infotainment system, the touch pad seems like a cool addition. The air flow at the front can be controlled to focus on the seat’s passenger; diffused to cool the entire cabin or set on medium for a balance of both. It has three ambient light options – unfortunately we didn’t get to experience them during our day shoot.

The C-Class interior is now, once again, the best in segment; the cabin is now spacious and offers a great features list, also the quality is on par with the cars in the higher segment.

The new C-Class derives power from the 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder unit delivering 181bhp and 300Nm of torque. It is a relatively quick car, capable of reaching the 100kph mark from standstill in 7.3 seconds under test conditions. The 7G-TRONIC PLUS gearbox delivers the power to the rear wheels and my complaint about it remains the same – it is quick, but not as quick as the competition. The claimed efficiency of this new C 200 is 14.74kpl, while we managed around 11kpl in our short drive.

Mercedes now offers five drive modes as part of the Agility Select that alter the engine maps, steering response, engine start/stop function and air-conditioning as per the driver’s needs. The engine can be set to – Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport + and Manual. The engine maps change with the modes offering the required performance. While in manual it will rev to 6,000rpm before shifting, unless you manually select the next gear. Eco mode is set for maximum efficiency, with even the AC function biased towards efficiency. Even in Comfort mode, the steering will be light, performance docile and the only difference over Eco mode is that the AC will be functional all the time. In the Sport and Sport+ modes, the engine performance peps up, steering becomes heavier for performance and the engine start/stop function is switched off. Mercedes is also offering an individual mode that can be used to alter any of the functions.

The previous generation C-Class was quite harsh at low speeds, while the new one is not exceptionally soft, it is better. The suspension set up is still firm and a lot percolates into the cabin at low to moderate speeds; however, the ride gets significantly better after 80kph.

The new electrically assisted power steering on the C-Class is super precise. The comfort mode, for city driving, makes it light at low speeds and yet it weighs up nicely with speed. The sport mode on the other hand will appeal to enthusiasts; it feels really nice, though the feedback could have been a little better.

The handling is acceptable, there is plenty of grip from the 225/50 R 17 Michelin Primacy tyres till the time you are gentle with the input. Try too hard and the electronics will immediately take over and cut the speed. This is probably the only place where the BMW 3 Series scores over the C; it lets you have a little more fun even with the electronics. In simple words, the new Mercedes sedan is good for an occasional burst of aggressive driving, but does not exactly deserve the ‘sporty’ tag.

The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class W205 wins hands down on looks. It is a big step forward over its predecessor in every aspect including design, space, features and driving dynamics. There is no doubt about its credentials and the buying decision will come down to pricing.

For now, Mercedes will offer only the C 200 petrol imported as CBU and the sale of the locally manufactured diesel version is expected to start next year. This will definitely command a premium over Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series and I expect the sticker price to be around Rs 38 lakh. That may sound expensive, but this one ticks off all the right boxes to become a modern-day classic.