Mercedes Benz C Class Overview

There is no other reason to buy a Mercedes-Benz car except for one; it is a Mercedes-Benz! They pioneered selling nice luxury cars when others were sceptical of their market acceptance in India. Their most popular car from the well spread portfolio continues to be the C-Class.

Been there for 7 long years, it was about time the C-Class got a complete makeover except for this time the makers took it a tad more seriously than ever before. It now flaunts lines similar to the revolutionary ultra modern S-Class and inside too, it chooses to drape in a similar fashion.

They have also made this one lose weight by making it follow a strict diet. Based on the recent MRA (Modular Rear Architecture) platform, even the ride and handling has been tuned up. Well…the German War just got reloaded as this Stuttgart soldier has got a super life and ammo upgrade. Would recommend reading this review before you wire-transfer that premium amount in favour of others.

Mercedes Benz C Class Look

Among the first questions that will pop up when you see the C-Class in person will be ‘is this really the new car’? Even by facelift standards, the changes are subtle enough to go unnoticed by those not in the know. The dimensions remain unchanged and so does the basic shape and size of the headlamps and tail lamps.

Our test car was the top-spec Progressive variant of the C 220 d, which packs full-LED headlamps. Dare we say, it looks better than the ‘Multibeam’ LED setup the more expensive C 300 d AMG Line gets. It also lends the C-Class an angrier-looking face, that’s complemented well by the reworked bumper. With the central airdam growing larger and faux air vents moving upwards, the front now appears visually wider.

There’s no telling the updated C-Class apart from the old one from the side. Absolutely nothing new here save for the new set of 17-inch alloy wheels that are now standard. From the rear, the baby Mercedes apes not the S, but the mighty Maybach. The tail lamps get revised graphics, with a prominent C-shaped lighting pattern. And yes, if you’re wondering, it continues to get the chrome applique on the bumper that tries to imitate a set of exhausts.

We’ve always liked how Mercedes-Benz has managed to mimic the S-Class in a smaller, tighter package. And even with the update, that feeling lingers on. If we could describe it in a word, we’d pick c-l-a-s-s-y!

Mercedes Benz C Class Comfort

As we mentioned earlier, the C300d is the facelifted version. And that means, apart from the head and tail lamps on the outside, it gets some new and feel-good bits on the inside too. The steering, for starters, is new. And it gets touchpads on the steering spokes to operate the extremely detailed driver information system and the new multimedia system. These touchpads don’t just look good, these function well too.

The screen is new too. It still doesn’t have touchscreen functionality, but it is a high-resolution one. It is part of the Mercedes COMAND system, which allows the driver to access car-related settings from driving modes to climate control to mood lighting. It gives out service-related info as well. And for the geeky ones amongst us, there’s info on the amount of power and torque one uses at a given instance, as well as the amount of acceleration and braking being used. Rounding up the new bits is the wood finish on the centre console. It’s what Mercedes calls porus wood because it isn’t varnished.

The rest of the cabin is mostly unchanged. It still has super comfy seats, front and back; a great quality cabin with crisp operability all round; and features by the page load. The latter includes a multifunctional steering wheel that is electrically adjustable for reach and rake, electrically powered front seats that are 12-way adjustable, dual-zone climate control system with rear AC vents, electric sunblind for the rear, and cup and bottle holders for occupants on all corners.

The C300d is loaded with tech too. Apart from the regular safety kit – many airbags, ABS and stability program – the 300d also get an auto parking brake, cruise control, auto wipers and headlamps, auto-dimming mirrors, and enough smartness to tell if the driver needs to take a break of not! There are driving modes too – Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+, and Individual. The latter is for those who can’t stand presets.

Mercedes Benz C Class Gearbox

It looks different and feels more upmarket than ever before but how does it drive? To begin with, it is based on the all new lightweight Modular Rear Architecture platform, which is among the four primary platforms on which all future Mercedes-Benz cars will be based on. The merits of MRA have reduced the overall weight, increased efficiency and rigidity of the new car.

While the more popular diesel variant will launch in the first quarter of 2015, it is the 2.0L four-cylinder petrol engine which had made its way into India. It makes a healthy 181.04 bhp of power at 5500 rpm and 300Nm of torque between 1200rpm to 1400rpm. With lesser weight to haul the ride and handling have shifted upwards compared to the earlier version but are still not the best in the segment especially if you compare it with that of the BMW 3 Series, a car that’s bang on in terms of agility around corners.

The petrol motor demands to be pushed to the stronger mid range where it feels livelier. If you are in for some performance styled driving the new C-Class is clearly not the sedan for you but then if you wish to crunch on those extra miles with a cushy and comfort ride, then you are driving the right sedan. The lazy response can be forgiven for the smooth and linear power delivery. The engine is paired with the most acclaimed 7G-TRONIC PLUS transmission which works much well in sync with the cruising powertrain.

To bring in certain individuality in driving style, it gets five vivid drive modes namely Economy, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ or Individual to choose from. These modes mainly alter different characteristics such as the throttle response, transmission shift and the steering feel. To get these modes activated, there is chrome dipped and knurled oscillating switch mounted just beside the touchpad on the wooden central console.

The vehicle is in Comfort mode as a standard setting which maintains a balance on all aspects. A slight push on the agility switch and the Eco drive mode is selected where the engine behaviour along with the in-car air conditioning is remapped to deliver the best fuel efficiency. This mode is a boon especially after a peppy highway dash but the lack of throttle response gets highlighted. You can’t really complain about it as it is only in this mode where you end up scoring more points for efficiency. To know more information on Mercedes Benz C Class check Ksd-media

Mercedes Benz C Class Riding

Unlike the global-spec versions, the India-spec C-Class doesn’t get adjustable damping. Good old fashioned springs are set up like they’d be in Stuttgart. It’s stiff, and often unforgiving if you go over a lot of bad roads in succession. You’d rock about side to side while tackling large craters at low speeds. But once you pass the bad patch, it’s like it never happened. The suspension regains composure so quickly that you begin to actually appreciate the setup.

A softer setup would’ve induced a wallowy, bouncy feeling, especially at the rear. It would’ve also caused the car to bottom out over the really bad bits Indian roads are known for. So, yeah. We’ll take this stiff setup all day long. On the highway, this setup shines. It isn’t fazed by anything! But it makes sure it tells you what surface you’re driving on. For instance, driving over concrete and paver blocks feel different from behind the wheel. You notice the suspension working (quietly) in the background.

You can take the C-Class corner carving too. The chassis feels ever ready to be dunked hard into bends. But it’s let down by a somewhat vague steering. Small inputs to the wheel don’t translate proportionally to the wheels. Dial in some more turn and it tends to turn in more than you’d want it to. So there’s a bit of a learning curve here if you want to blitz through the ghats.

That said, you can carry a lot of speed into the bend. And that’s because you can be dead sure that the brakes have your back. Stopping performance is unreal as the C-Class comes to a halt from 100-0kmph in just 35.60 metres and just 2.5 seconds. Careful though. Going too hard on the brakes will see fade set in quickly, and you’ll smell the pads cooking too.

Mercedes Benz C Class Safety

Irrespective of the variant you pick, you get a host of safety tech. There are seven airbags (dual front, side, curtain, and driver’s knee), anti-lock brakes with EBD as well as ISOFIX child seat mounts. The C-Class also features an Active Bonnet that raises the bonnet from the rear hinges (with the use of pyrotechnics) to ensure it minimizes impact and risk of injury for a pedestrian. There’s parking assist as well that helps hunts for parking spots and also steers and accelerates to make parking that much easier.

Mercedes Benz C Class Cost in Ahmedabad

Mercedes Benz C Class On Road Price is 45,95,320/- and Ex-showroom Price is 39,88,394/- in Ahmedabad. Mercedes Benz C Class comes in 5 colours, namely Polar White,Iridium Silver,Cavansite Blue,Obsidian Black,Palladium Silver. Mercedes Benz C Class comes with RWD with 2143 CC Displacement and 4 Cylinders with Maximum Power 170 bhp@3000-4200 rpm and Peak Torque 400 Nm@1400-2800 rpm DRIVE TRAIN RWD and reaches 100 KMPH at 7.4 seconds . Mercedes Benz C Class comes with Manual Transmission with RWD..Check for Benz C Class price in Ahmedabad at Tryaldrive.

Mercedes Benz C Class Final Word

The Mercedes C300d AMG Line retails for nearly Rs 60 lakhs on the road in Mumbai. So it isn’t exactly mouth-wateringly tempting. But it is the most powerful diesel C-Class one can buy in the country. And apart from a slightly lumpy ride and an engine that gets noisy when you dial up the revs, there’s nothing not to like. The popularity of this car compelled Mercedes-Benz India to prepone its launch. The new C-Class has gone through a major transformation which is evident in its exterior styling. The S-Class inspired cues leave an impressive touch. Taking advantage of the additional length and width which has gone up by 95mm and 40mm respectively, the cabin feels a lot more welcoming. They have layered it with top notch equipment, features and comfort again thanks to its World Car of the Year sibling.

The reason behind topping this sedan with dollops of luxury is to cater the chauffer driven class, who won’t mind lack of enthusiasm of driving an agile sedan as long as they feel pampered with a spacious cabin and tons of features to write home about.Agreeably, it is the only one offering everything at this price especially if you consider the S-Class inspired interiors at half of its price but then there is a slight problem. This particular version being a CBU is available at Rs.51 lakhs (On-Road) which makes it supremely expensive.

Playing the devil’s advocate, for the same amount of money one can also get a more niche Jaguar XF or a more powerful BMW 3-Series or even a value for money A4. So clearly the new C-Class can pinch even the niche class but not that the knowledgably sane aren’t aware of it as they roll out diesel and CKD variants soon, which will further deepen the rivalry spoiling the consumers with multitudes of choices.