Mercedes sold over 2.2 million versions of the previous C-Class.That means 1 in 5 of
every Mercedes sold worldwide is a C-Class. That means that this all-new model has some
pretty big shoes to fill.
The upgrade to the design in the interior is even greater that that on the outside.
It's a lot classier in here than the old car - the design's a lot more satisfying. All
cars get a big screen up here - this is the 8.4-inch version on the top-spec models - but
all cars get at least a 7 inch display. Automatics are expected to take up 80% of sales and they
get this clean dash design with a useful cubby.
All cars also get this touch pad which makes using the infotainment system much easier.
You can use gestures like you would on a smartphone, including pinch to zoom in on the sat-nav.
It works really well on the move. Let's go for a drive and I'll show you more.
As well as the new touchpad all new C-Classes come with agility control. That means you
can use this switch to scroll between eco, comfort, sport, sport + and an individual
setting to tailor the car to how you're driving it.
This car also has the option of air suspension which is about £895 and makes quite a big
difference to the way that the car feels. It's a technology that;s been used in the
S-Class for some time and this is the first time it's been used on a car of this size.
It makes the ride amazingly comfortable.It's not the most sporty feeling but depending
on how you drive every day it's almost unmatched in its class.
The chassis is a big improvement over the previous car. Unfortunately a lot of the engines
are actually carried over in slightly tweaked form from the previous car.
While this 2-litre diesel gives 201bhp and 500Nm of torque, which means performance is
pretty good, it's still noisy and rattly. That's kind of at odds with the new, more
refined and luxurious cabin that you find yourself in.
They've tried really hard to make the noise not filter into the cabin - it sounds like
someone's stuffed a duvet down the back of the dashboard. Unfortunately the noise still
gets in over the bonnet and through the doors.It kind of spoils the premium ambiance.
The gearbox is carried over as well - it works quite well in comfort mode, it's nice and
smooth, however in sport mode it sometimes doesn't know which gear, gets a bit confused
and that ultimately leaves you a little bit frustrated. That's something that you don't
get in the 8-speed auto that you get in the BMW.
As well as being better to drive, the C-Class is bigger than before, loads of room up the
front, plenty of space in either door, the glovebox is big even with this car having
the optional scent diffuser from the S-Class. You use a little bottle of fragrance which
sits in the glovebox. It's injected into the climate control so that the car smells nice.
However in the back space isn't quite so good.This car's got the panoramic roof which cuts headroom
quite a bit of you're tall but kneeroom isn't that great either. The boot's nice and big
though, it's 5 litres bigger than previously at 480 litres. It's nice and rectangular in
shape as well so it's easy to chuck whatever you need to in the back without worrying about
it.
Thanks to its new platform and the high technology that it borrows from the S-Class, the improvements
to the design inside and out, the new C-Class is a big step forward from the car it replaces.
However there are still some questions about the engine refinement, even though the actual
drive is superbly refined and much more like a car form the class above.
How will it fare against the BMW 3 Series? We'll have to wait and find out, but it's
going to be a pretty close battle.