New Mercedes-Benz C220 : First Drive

‘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.

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Get the quiet and refined 2-litre CGI petrol engine running to drive off towards the highway, and the impressions get deeper. This was always a nice engine – silky smooth, high revving and fast – but the same 7-speed G-tronic automatic gearbox has been revised to create quicker and smoother shifts, which work well both while driving conservatively for rear bench comfort, or caning the car in Sport Mode.

But here’s what makes the real difference, giving the new C a completely different character – the adaptive suspension that the car now comes standard with. The system adjusts the dampers at each wheel to a harder or softer setting, as the situation demands, ensuring a significantly smoother ride while not losing its composure in corners. Coupled to that gem of an engine, the new C actually makes for a great car to drive hard up broken ghats, and still be driven in over distances in fair silence and sophistication.

After a quick spin that has the bonnet hot, it is time to look at the car from the outside in detail. The difference in terms of presence is significant, owing mostly to the revised fascia and the panoramic sunroof. Cosmetic revisions on the outside include a chunky new grille, Bi-Xenon headlamps, LED daytime running lights, a restyled bumper and new skirts. All of these come together to add some teeth and claws to the C’s appeal, AMG style. The Sport variant even has an option for 18-inch, 7-spoke wheels straight from the AMG skunkworks.

India has always been a country which has held a special place for the three-pointed star, and has consequently been a guarded territory for Mercedes-Benz. The entry, and now the dominance of its rivals in various segments seems to have incited just the right response from the car maker, and most definitely so when it comes to the new C-Class. In its new form, it is a strong performer with style and presence, remains comfortable and sensible, and certainly manages to pamper its occupants. Thumbs up!