“I had asked them to send the C-Class, why have they sent an S-Class again?” This is the exact thought that went through my mind when I first saw the new C-Class waiting for me at 5 AM on a Saturday morning. But before you start flaming me, let me say in my defence that it was still dark. Sunrise was still sometime away and those tail lamps looked exactly like those of the Mercedes flagship luxo barge. So yes, I was sent the right car after all.
Mercedes had been on a product onslaught in 2014 and that is going to continue. Mercedes is set to launch 15 new models in 2015 so it’s going to be quite an action packed year for the Stuttgart manufacturer. Mercedes launched the new C-Class (code name W205) in India at the end of last year in CBU form in petrol avatar and wasn’t going to be long before the diesel hit our shores too. The C-Class with the oil burner was launched last month and while Mercedes has begun local assembly of the C200 petrol, the new C220 CDI will be an import for now. Expect local assembly to happen soon. The C200 will be sold in only the top end Avantgarde trim while the C220 CDI will give customers the choice of either the Style or the fully loaded Avantgarde trim levels. We got our hands on the C220 CDI diesel Avantgarde for this review.
I have loved Mercedes current design philosophy and the new C-Class is no different. Popularly called the ‘Baby S-Class’, it’s easy to see why. The S-Class styling gives the new C a very elegant and matured look. There is a large twin slat grille with a big star in the centre. The S-Class on the other hand still wears the three pointed star hood ornament on the bonnet. You get full LED headlamps with DRLs which resemble eyebrows when you look at the car dead on from the front. View the car from the side and it appears to look like an extra short wheel base S-Class. A prominent cut line runs across from the headlamp till the rear door. The boot looks compact and the C gets LED tail lamps as well. The rear bumper is also beautifully crafted and you also see a diffuser. For your viewing pleasure, we managed to click a rear shot of both, the S and C Class standing side by side.
If the exterior wowed you, wait till you get inside. Mercedes has taken the interior to an all new level with the new C-Class. The cabin has a feel of a luxury sedan from a segment higher. Sit yourself on the comfy front seats, take a moment and you realize there’s a lot of S-Class in here too. The metal window switches have an amazing feel to them as do the electric seat adjust controls. I personally like this arrangement for seat controls rather than the ‘side of the seat’ one. The centre console is pretty wide and finished in fine wood. The circular AC vents look classy too. There is an 8.4 inch screen mounted above the AC vents which displays the COMMAND interface. You can now operate it via a touch pad which is very easy and convenient. The round dial is also present below the touchpad. The new steering wheel is thick, has good grip and feels really nice to hold. Paddle shifters are mounted behind the steering. The new C comes with a ton of equipment like Sat Nav, LED ambient lighting with a choice of 3 colours, a huge panoramic sunroof, keyless GO and a Burmester sound system with 13 speakers.
The rear also gets a two pin plug placed below the rear AC vents that can be used to charge your laptop. Other features include 2 zone climate control, reversing camera and ARTICO leather upholstery. It is surprising that KEYLESS ENTRY is not included. You still have to lock and unlock the car using the buttons on the key. Safety wise the new C-Class gets 7 airbags, PRE-SAFE, Attention Assist, Adaptive Highbeam Assist Plus and Hill Start Assist. The new C-Class comes with a 480 litre boot. While that is adequate, a considerable amount of that space is taken up by the space saver tyre that is strapped on to the boot floor. Why no wheel wells?
The front seats are very supportive and comfortable. Cushioning is a bit on the firmer side but there is adequate bolstering that hold you in place during spirited driving. Both the front seats have electric adjust with memory function and adjust for thigh support as well. Rear seats get good legroom and headroom but thigh support could have been better. Also the rear is best to seat two people thanks to a high central transmission tunnel. Overall they offer good support and are comfortable.
Power for the diesel C-Class comes from a 2.1 litre 4 cylinder motor that puts out 168 bhp and 400 Nm torque. This engine was seen in the previous gen C-Class as well. The motor has very good low end grunt and mid range making overtaking a breeze with power available on tap. The 7 speed torque converter auto box though smooth in shifting does feel a tad lazy at times. However you do have the option to drive the car in manual mode via the paddles shifters. The 100 kph mark comes up in a claimed 7.4 seconds and goes to a top speed of 233 kph. The motor does tend a get a tad noisy when pushing it at higher rpms but that said, the C-Class is a fantastic highway cruiser and will eat up the kms without breaking a sweat. Relaxed driving is the way to go.
The new C-Class comes with ‘Agility Select’ which offers 5 driving mode: Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. Each setting adjusts the steering, AC and the gear shifts according to the mode chosen. In Eco mode, the steering is very light, the gears shift quickly and the AC also adapts to give better fuel efficiency. Even the Auto Start/Stop function is automatically switched on. Sport+ is best used for spirited driving where the engine revs right up to the redline. Also it is interesting to note that traction control cannot be turned off at all in the car.
The India spec C-Class comes with taller springs which, in turn gives higher ground clearance. This has compromised on ride quality. While the ride is still good, it still falls a little short given what we have come to expect from Mercs. Uneven patches on the road do make their presence felt in the cabin. The test car came with 17 inch alloys and 225/50 profile runflat tyres. The Style variant comes with 16 inch alloys. Handling is good and the car stays composed and sticks to the road during fast cornering. However there is some lack in steering feel because the C-Class now gets electric power steering. It is however very light and easy to manoeuvre through urban city traffic.
The C-Class is no longer the entry level car to buy for those who wanted to join the three pointed star club. It is more expensive than before but at the same time it comes loaded with all the bells and whistles and more. Diesel is still the way to go when buying a German car and there is no doubt that the C220 CDI will be the better seller than its petrol counterpart. Local assembly should bring down the prices but only marginally. As a package there is nothing really to fault in the new C-Class. Mercedes has upped the game once again. Let the games begin. Rivals watch out…
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