The New Sex’C’
Mercedes India is on a roll this year with a slew of launches already planned and the AMG lot already making a lot of noise around town.The C Class has always been the important car in the Mercedes lineup and the fact that the launch had been brought forward by a few months only shows their commitment towards this strong market.
Visually, you’d mistake it for an S Class but then the it is proportionally smaller than the big daddy. The New C draws a lot of its design elements and philosophy from the S Class.The taut rear with the tapering end, the bulging shoulder line and the crisp sides, the intricately detailed headlamps make it quite a looker. It has a high stance thanks to its India Spec Suspension setup.
On the front it has the imposing fascia sporting the 2 bar grill and the iconic 3 pointed star. On the Inside it simply outshines itself, there is a sense of luxury, the material, the fit and finish is impeccable. The Dash is beautifully sculpted with a flowing wooden console with chrome and aluminum accents, the attention to detail on every single knob and button is fantastic. On the whole it all feels very Rich, Premium and Plush. The Music flows from a 13 Speaker “Burmester” Hi-Fi system which has a beautifully designed speaker grill housed on the door.
The Command System how has a touchpad on the center console which makes it easier and more intuitive to use.The Screen which is now 8.4 inches is housed above the Air-vents. Amongst the range of goodied you get 3 zone climate control, A Rear view camera, Bluetooth connectivity and it doesn’t end there, you get LED Ambient light control which lets you choose from 3 different light colors and then there is Satellite Navigation system. Memory function for your seats and a beautiful analog Mercedes Clock.
The seats are very comfortable and offer perfect support and finding the correct driving posture is easy. The cushioning is slightly firm which will keep you in place on those twisty corners.At the rear, the seat offers the good legroom and sufficient headroom. Under thigh support is a bit of a problem considering the slightly short seat.The seat itself, however, is well cushioned and nicely contoured but high central transmission tunnel makes the fifth passenger very unwelcome on the C-class.
The same 2.0 Litre turbocharged petrol engine that does duty on the E200 find itself at task again churning out 181bhp and 30.5 Torque. You can select from 5 drives modes – Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual (which enables you to tweak the settings except for the suspension). All modes have different preset settings for Aircon performance, engine start-stop function, engine and gearbox settings.
On the Whole, The Engine is pretty responsive, the motor packs a punch and delivers performance when you need it. Overtaking will be a breeze since it has a superb mid-range. In Eco Mode however things are a little different, the steering is nice and light the throttle responses are a bit flat. The Aircon switches to eco mode to save fuel and the gearshifts from the 7G-Tronic Torque Converter gearbox are silk smooth. The Sport+ mode has the sharpest throttle response and razor sharp gearshifts, perfectly weighted steering and the start-stop function goes out of the window.
The New C-Class has a stiffer and lighter chassis, but with the India Spec suspension it gets a bit too stiff for our roads. The low profile 225/50R17 Tyres does let some sharp potholes and undulations into the cabin and it does not have the driving poise of gliding over uneven surfaces of the erstwhile C-Class but on other surfaces the ride quality is class leading.
The higher ground clearance thanks to the taller suspension can swallow mountainous speed bumps with ease. high speeds is where the Merc excels giving you a firm planted ride offering supreme control thus making it a capable highway mile muncher. The New C-Class has left the hydraulically assisted power steering and moved on to an Electric unit which is not only quicker but also very precise.
Mercedes India has rolled up its sleeves and is ready for an aggressive attack for the Indian Market. First came the S- Class, then the slew of AMG’s and the Compact Mercs. Now with the freshly designed C-Class , the Benchmark interior and hard to fault – Vault like build quality. They actually have a clear winner with the new C-Class, The Equipment levels and the standout styling and of course the driving dynamics are a killer package, priced at Rs 40.9 Lakhs Ex Showroom Delhi, we think this is a little pricey but going by the amount of fun you will have driving this around and the dressed with flair looks it is totally worth every penny.
SPECIFICATIONS
Brand name: Mercedes Benz
Model: C Class – C200 Blue Efficiency
Price: Rs. 40.9 lac (ex-showroom Delhi)
Engine
Engine Type: Inline 4 cylinder, petrol
Displacement: 1991cc
Fuel: Petrol
Fuel economy: 14.7kmpl
Maximum Power: 181bhp@5500RPM
Maximum Torque: 300Nm@1300-4000RPM
0-100kmph: 7.2 seconds
Top speed: 235kmph
Transmission
Layout: RWD
Gear box: 7-speed automatic
Dimensions
Length x width x height: 4686x1810x1442mm
Wheelbase: 2800mm
Kerb Weight: 1545kg
Ground clearance:
Capacity
Boot volume: 480 litres
Fuel tank: 66 litres
