Mercedes C class Review

The Merc is a great all-rounder. It looks very sporty with its star-in-the-centre grille and it is comfortable, fast and handles beautifully. But if you want to spend that extra amount on something that's in particular fun and exciting, this is not the car.

DESIGN

Straight away recognisable due to its sporty Avantgarde grille with the large-sized star at the centre and the bigger wheels, this C-Class targets  younger, more enthusiastic owners who like to drive themselves. Yet, it's got that air of Mercedes-Benz serenity.

Considerably bigger than the old C-class, this car runs on conventional MacPherson struts up front and a multi-link setup at the rear. But the real ace up Merc's sleeve is the trick dampers. They have the ability to alter the ride depending road conditions and driving style - stiff for hard driving and softer for the Sunday morning cruise. A  more direct steering rack and a 52.5/47.5 percent front/rear weight distribution shows that even Mercedes is keen to be associated with the word 'sporty'.

CABIN

The Mercedes is the most comfortable car to be chauffeured around in. It rides superbly, the seats are very comfortable and relaxed and Merc has finally included some essential creature comforts like powered seats and seat memory.

The Merc has some cheap bits on its otherwise high quality interior. The central console has a lot of ordinary plastic, the grain of the dash doesn't feel special and though the controls and knobs function perfectly, an over-riding sense of quality is missing.

The dash is a mix of some very high quality and some pedestrian bits. We loved the way the switches worked too. However, a few things like the air-con temperature knobs don't have the quality feel that benefits a Merc. Also, the display screen smartly swivels out of the dash.

ENGINE

This Merc's engine has four valves per cylinder; the 2.5-litre V6 puts out 203bhp and that gives it substantially more pace than the supercharged C200K. This is obvious from the time you use half-throttle and contact the natural torque sitting comfortably in the bottom end and mid-range.

The character of the motor is completely in sync with the nature of the car, and power even in the top-end is strong, but never hyperactive. And there's a pleasant, almost mini-V8 growl when the motor is revved towards the top of its powerband. In isolation, the Merc is very quick, its seven-speed automatic effective in putting you in the right part of the power band, with more than enough performance to keep you entertained.

RIDE AND HANDLING

The ride on its amplitude-dependent, automatically-adjusting shock absorbers is very comfortable. Silent as a tomb inside, it soaks up even expansion joints on this concrete road with absolute casualness. But it's not the most comfortable car to push on in when the conditions call for almost an amphibious assault, like we're attempting.

The steering is disconcertingly light and distributes very slight feel, and though the basic handling and dynamics are as good as any car here, nudging serious speeds in these conditions gets a bit nerve-wracking. The Merc enjoys a good thrash-about too and handling is gentle and spot-on, the C-Class displaying almost ideal balance.

FACT FILE  Wheelbase 2760 mm Fuel Petrol Type 2496 cc,6 cylinders in vee Installation Front longitudinal, Rear wheel drive Power 204 bhp Torque 25 kgm