2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Review

When Mercedes-Benz launched the new S-Class, it wasn’t just the flagship for the company; it also became a benchmark for the luxury limo segment. It is a phenomenon, the Stuttgart based carmaker wants to repeat with the all-new Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The C-Class has been an upmarket mid-sized saloon with great customer satisfaction record to boast of. And now it has the big task of overshadowing the brilliant BMW 3 Series and the recently updated Audi A4 saloon. 

To achieve this, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class looks up at the grand Mercedes-Benz S-Class for inspiration. Not a bad thing at all, if you ask me. Recently when I came face to face with the new car in Marseilles, the family ties between the two Mercedes were pretty evident - right from the front styling to their silhouette. Some of the European countries will get very similar looking Mercedes-Benz S- and C-Classes, but thankfully they’ll be less confusing in India. Thankfully, Mercedes-Benz India has decided not to bring the EXCLUSIVE line’s classic Saloon radiator grille with the Mercedes star on the bonnet. Instead, our country will be offered the sportier Avantgarde front design with a giant star housed within the grille.

With the gorgeous French coastal city in the backdrop, my first date with the new C-Class was nothing short of a spectacle. This miniature S-Class is a strikingly elegant design. It now carries a softer and rounder profile which is quite a contrast from the outgoing model’s design. The Classic stroke- like shoulder-line merges with the new LED headlamps, which grows on you, and add to the C-Class’ attractive design. Look at it from the side, and the long bonnet with well set back passenger compartment and short overhangs give the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class well-balanced proportions.

As I slip behind the steering wheel, I notice that new C-Class has also grown in size, with 80mm increase in the wheelbase (2840mm) compared to the previous model. It’s also 95mm longer and 40mm wider but the car miraculously weighs up to 100kg less than the older model. The key reason behind this is its brand new platform which uses about 48 per cent aluminium. As a result, the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class feels more planted on the road and has generous legroom especially at the back. At 480 litres the new ‘C’ also surpasses its predecessor in terms of boot capacity.

The previous generation C-Class was never sought after for its interiors. These were somewhat functional, but not really sexy. Being a direct descendent of the S-Class, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class has a completely new and, might I add, jaw-dropping cabin design. So, what wasn’t a talking point of the out-going model has now becoming its strongest asset, with sweeping curves and top class textures. The S-Class inspired circular air vents look nice, while the floating touch screen display doesn’t look very attractive to me. 

You can scroll through the on-screen menu using the much talked about touchpad which is positioned below the cascading centre console. Simply swipe left and right to navigate through functions, and pinch to zoom in on maps. It’s a cool touch, but one is better off using the rotary dial which is quicker and easier to use on the go. Moreover, the COMAND menu system is not as intuitive as some of its competition. It’s a well-crafted cabin and most of the buttons and switches feel solid and well damped. 

Up front the space is good and so is the rear kneeroom, but the back seat is a tad firm and sloping roofline seriously compromises the headroom. Talking about cabin space, the company recently showcased a long-wheel-base version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class during the 2014 Beijing Auto Show, which has acres of legroom for rear passengers. We won’t be surprised if the C-Class LWB also makes it to the Indian market when the car is launched here next year. Yes, Mercedes-Benz is not in a hurry as the new car will go on sale in Europe around June this year. By the time Mercedes-Benz India completes homologation and receives other approvals by the Indian authorities, the launch of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class will be pushed to early 2015.

The new C-Class saloons have been designed for comfort and are fun to drive, but hardcore performance is not really the focus. I started exploring the breathtakingly scenic road of Marseilles on the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which boasts of the European spec-ed C250 BlueTEC diesel, and produces 204PS of peak power and 500Nm of maximum torque. And I was in for a surprise. 

The outgoing C-Class (which still sells in India) isn’t the most refined cars in its class. The diesel engines are noisy with noticeable vibration, and coarseness seeped in the cabin too. The engineers at Stuttgart have taken note of all the criticism and seemed to have worked on this issue. Now there’s a word that describes the new C-Class well - refinement. I was stumped by the insulated cabin of the new Mercedes-Benz C-class. The smooth new C250 proved to be reasonably dynamic and spirited, though the 7G-Tronic autobox doesn’t feel as crisp as competition. It plunges ahead with fair amount of urgency and claims a respectable 0-100kmph time of 6.6 seconds. But somehow, the surge is not as epic as the 500Nm figure suggests. The C250 didn’t feel as sharp or responsive in terms of handling and braking either, when compared to what I was going to drive next.

After the diesel experience, I was searching for something that would offer a more explosive performance and would do justice to the curvy roads of the coastal French city. In comes the Mercedes-Benz C400. The V6-equipped petrol saloon was more dynamic under acceleration and thanks to the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system the C400 is also sharper and more responsive in terms of handling and braking.

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The chassis of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is extremely stable, and is smooth even on the most demanding roads. It achieves this with a little help from the new Agility Control system, which allows the driver to select modes like Eco, Comfort, Sports and Sport+ to alter the ride and handling characteristics of the car. The ride quality of the new C-Class is simply spectacular. Easily the best in its class. It has been able to accomplish this due to the excellent combination of the air-suspension and the newly developed four link front suspension. The ride quality remains plush in pretty much any mode but the C-Class neither wallows, nor pitches like a luxury boat. In terms of handling, the focus clearly seems to be on refinement rather than sports car like feedback. The variable ratio steering is light but is pretty crisp. This is a fine handling car and would make a strong base for the bi-turbo AMG version the company is said to be working on. After sampling the various driving modes, it was best to select the Comfort mode so that I could enjoy the opulent interiors and the scenery outside the car. 

Time to talk tech. Now, where do I begin? The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class that I drove came with low-speed auto braking function (Collision Prevention Assist), reverse camera (Active Parking Assist) and drowsiness detector (Attention Assist) as standard which keeps an eye on the driver like a guardian angel.  The company also offers Enhanced Active Lane Keeping Assist and Active Blind Spot Assist as part of the optional Intelligent Drive concept. Another cool feature is the air-conditioning system which uses GPS maps to detect approaching tunnels and automatically switch the airflow to re-circulate. How many of these high-end technologies come to the price sensitive Indian market, is what we'll have to wait and see.

Mercedes-Benz is an old player in the luxury car market and has read the pulse of buyers well. As a result, the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class looks and feels as wonderful as a miniature S-class should. Plus one gets great engine refinement, unparallel ride quality and a spectacular interior which is worthy of a class above. Sadly, it may have an Achilles heel. The price. It’s a great mid-sized sedan, and Mercedes is aware of this. It might take a gamble and position the 2015 C-Class closer to the E-Class. This move will help the company get the desired premium it wants on the C and at the same time create room for the all-new CLA sports saloon based on the A-Class platform. But will the gamble pay off? We shall wait and watch.