There’s nothing quite like a Mercedes-Benz for those who want to show off. The carmaker recently opened a boutique at the swish Michelangelo Towers Mall in Sandton and, to celebrate the event, held a fashion show to showcase some of the merchandise available.
In the elevator on the way up from the parking area my sister Sandy and I struck up a conversation with a couple heading in the same direction. With an overstated haughtiness, the guy said: “I’m a long-time Mercedes-Benz customer, so I was one of very few to test-drive a C200 yesterday.” I politely replied: “Lucky you,” not wanting to burst his bubble.
“Well, my sister drove a few of them, including the C320, two weeks ago,” boasted Sandy, who couldn’t let this pretentious stranger have his moment. I smiled awkwardly at the guy who didn’t look so triumphant anymore and gave my sister a stern look as we exited the elevator. “But, you did!” she said defensively. I shook my head and headed for the bar. The fashion show was about to begin and, seeing as what I know about fashion could be squeezed into the eye of a needle, I was craving a spot of Johnnie Black to get me through the event.
The venue was crawling with schlebs, sporting heroes, actors and guys who wear as much make-up as their girlfriends. There was a lukewarm reception to the fashion on show, but when the scantily clad guys and girls pranced off and a new C-Class was driven on to the catwalk, I saw people standing up and stretching over those in front of them to get a look.
Over the years Mercedes-Benz has established itself as a brand which prides itself on safety and comfort. Its biggest rival, BMW, prided itself on performance. Guys who bought Mercs were fuddy-duddies and guys who bought Beemers were real men who loved speed above all else.
So aware of this disparity was Mercedes-Benz that in recent years it created manic cars that no BMW could compare with. A case in point is the lightning-fast SL 65AMG. However, with a price tag of almost R2-million not all Merc fans could appreciate the change in the company’s tone. So that sporty disposition began to filter down and has now manifested itself in Merc’s bread-and-butter model, the new C-Class.
During the question-and-answer session at the launch of the C-Class in Mpumalanga, a journo asked how he was supposed to fit all the info about the new model into a 750-word story. We all laughed and agreed that that was a challenge: trying to summarise how much the C-Class had changed and what it had to offer.
Among the highlights of the new model is the appearance. The new C is truly beautiful. As expected, it is wider, longer and roomier than its predecessor, yet it hides its girth with smooth lines from nose to tail. Inside, it has a classy feel and the upholstery, fit and finishings are of a high standard.
Safety features include agility control, which is standard on all models, as well as an adaptive braking system, adaptive brake lights (that flash under emergency braking) and a tyre pressure warning system.
An addition to the usual safety features, such as ABS and ESP, is Pre-Safe, which works with other active safety systems and prepares the car and cabin ahead of an impending collision. This is standard across the range.
But on the road is where you will notice the biggest changes. I drove the 320 CDI and immediately felt confident enough to push it well past the legal speed limit on the long sweeps in Nelspruit. The six-cylinder 320 CDI is a lovely beast with an engine that pushes out 165kW at 3 800rpm and 510Nm from 1 600rpm to 2 800rpm.
It was in the steering that I felt a major change in the new C-Class. The previous model’s steering felt too light and was well short of the crisp feedback most drivers crave. Now, thanks to the advent of agility control steering, you get a much sharper feeling of the road and that translates into a more engaging drive.
The C200 was equally impressive and was as surefooted as the more expensive models in the range.
Two petrol and two diesel models are on offer, but only the four-cylinder engines come with the option of a manual or an automatic gearbox. The six-cylinder engines come standard with a seven-speed automatic gearbox and I find this rather disappointing. Sure, you get the addition of flappy-paddles on the steering for those who want to change gears themselves, but it will never feel quite the same as a manual gearbox.
The trim levels are as before, with the Avantgarde trim getting the most distinctive treatment with the three-pointed star embedded in the grille.
The range starts at R292 000 for the C200 and ends with the C350 at R415 000. The base model C180 and the top-of-the-range C63 AMG will go on sale next year.
So, of the Germans who dominate this segment, the million-dollar question is: Who leads the class? If you’re in the market for a mid-level luxury sedan, test-drive all three because there is some similarity in the features on offer, but each has its own character.
For now, though, I have no qualms about saying that the new C-Class leads the class and it should. It is the newest addition to this extremely competitive segment and it only stands to reason that its technology, safety, comfort and dynamics should lead the pack. And it does so, not in a boastful manner, but with the serene sense of confidence we’ve come to expect of Mercedes-Benz.