The C-Class has been raking in cash for Mercedes-Benz ever since its launch, but its popularity had taken a hit in the face of stiff new competition. With a thorough refreshment though, things are bound to get better for the almost all-new car

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‘Face-lift’ has grown to be a slightly disliked word at the Zigworks, essentially because of the liberties manufacturers have begun to take just to get their cars back in the public eye. Lightly changed bumpers, the addition of a few vinyls on the body in some cases, and hey presto!, an 'all-new' model emerges. so pardon us if we have grown skeptical. If there ever was an exception to this though, it has come in the form of the new C-Class, which has forced us to stand up, then sit inside, and take attentive notice.

The tussle between Mercedes-Benz and Indian luxury car market leader BMW has now even gone public, but clearly the marque from Stuttgart seems intent on reclaiming its place of prominence very quickly. While the new E-Class took the battle into Bimmer territory with improved dynamics and sportier intent, the real boost needed to come from the C-Class, which makes up more than half of the company’s sales in the country. The lacklustre interiors of the earlier C however made it feel fairly downmarket, and it was a Rs 30-lakh car that was easy to miss. Not any more though.

We’ll get to the exteriors later, since you can already see how the car has grown significantly more impressive from the outside in the pictures here. What has transformed the car however is the way it now drives, and the way it feels from the driver’s seat. The C of the past seemed very negligent in terms of the materials, and their use to create a plush design.

The beige interiors were uninspiring, and there were Japanese offerings in the market which could teach the German offering a thing or two about sophistication and packaging. We weren’t quite expecting this to get remedied, so imagine the force with which the car impressed us as we settled into the seats.

It’s all up to good speed when it comes to the interiors now, with a new design that is intelligent, ergonomic and plush. The materials are all sorted, Nappa leather and brushed aluminium making a smart black-meets-metal theme for the dashboard. The steering wheel gets 12 buttons mounted on it too, which is standard across variants. A whole bunch of cubbyholes all around the cabin make it a more user-friendly and feel good space in general.