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The luxury passenger car industry is bouncing back post-pandemic. Driven by latent demand and higher spend budgets. Luxury car market leader Mercedes-Benz says it can't make enough or import enough to meet the demand. There is a fairly large line-up of new models due this fiscal and the first of these is the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The ‘C’ was the entry luxury sedan from the three-pointed star till the A-Class took over that position. With the buyer profile steadily becoming younger and luxury sedans still being in demand (50 per cent of sales for Merc), the C-Class could become a key model line for the brand. Currently, the E-class clocks the highest sales for Merc.
Last week, I had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of the new 2022 C-Class, and here are my first impressions.
Design
This is the sixth generation of the C-Class and as it was with the previous generations, this is being referred to as the “Baby S-Class”. This moniker has found popular acceptance due to the design similarities the C-Class has with the Merc flagship. If the exterior elements hinted at being smaller interpretations in the fifth-gen, the new C-Class has as many inside the cabin too, soliciting even more repetitions of the Baby S-Class claim by Merc India officials. The design language for Merc’s entire model line-up has been evolving and the new C-Class takes on a sleeker, more aerodynamic profile. The dipping nose, the coupe-like rear-end and the graceful arc of the roof are lineage lines that most modern Mercs share.
The new C-Class gets three powertrains, and there are two diesels and one petrol engine in that mix. The variants that were on offer for the test drive in Dehradun were the C 200 and the C 300d, and I was driving the former. The front fascia of the C 200 is fresh, although it is unmistakably Mercedes with the characteristic grille and its chrome bar with the large 3-pointed star in the middle. Instead of the usual honeycomb grille design, it gets an array of vertical slats mimicking a Maybach design signature.
The headlamps in my test mule sported the LED brow DRLs and a new set of projectors. However, the C 300d AMG Line trim sports what Merc calls digital light — a set of three high intensity LEDs in the module is refracted and directed by 1.3 million micro mirrors. The other change in the new C-Class’s design is the bonnet slab which now sports a powerdome-like pair of ribs delivering a subtle sporty image. The front fender design is also sporty with a more aggressive variation of the “infinity” design being offered for the C 300d. The rear of the new C-Class is even more S-Class like. With its slim tail-lamps and the tapered ends, the new C will easy be mistaken for the S at night, if you don’t have a trained eye. The surfaces are clean and the finish quality for the exterior is a clear step-up from the previous gen.
The new C-Class has also grown in proportions with a 65mm increase in length, of which nearly 25mm is from the jump in wheelbase. It is also 10mm wider and sits lower by about as much. The increase in wheelbase also helps in a 21mm increase in space for rear passengers. In fact, there is a lot more room inside the cabin, including headroom and shoulder room.
Cabin
The interior of the new C-Class is also like the S-Class, even in the smaller details. The size of the cabin apart, the dashboard layout, the dominating, oversized infotainment screen set portrait-style, and the overall quality of materials used make it like the Merc flagship. Merc designers and engineers have knocked the ball out of the park and the perceived quality of the cabin, I'd say, now leads the compact segment.
Adding to this impression about the cabin was the very Maybach-like ash wood trim with pinstripe aluminium inserts on the dashboard in my test mule. The C 300d gets a more premium-looking woven carbon-fibre panel and the AMG steering wheel. The C 200's steering wheel was great to hold too, and there were multiple capacitive touch control buttons. The 10.9-inch infotainment screen is tilted towards the driver by 6-7 degrees and gets the NTG 7 update. LED backlit, floating control modules in the door panels and dashboard make the cabin feel special. The aircon vents are also backlit and feel so much more solid and intuitive to use.
The instrument cluster is a digital display with multiple displays based on modes and options for customisation. Usability is also improved with many storage and electrical charging options for occupants. Some of the other features include the panoramic sunroof with touch controls for opening and closing, privacy sheer curtains, a Burmester audio system (for top trim C 300d) and biometric authentication for choosing driver profiles. The Mercedes Me App-based connected car features also get an update with more usable features. And there is also Car-to-X cloud-based communication for improved safety. The new C also gets a whole suite of safety features. The boot space is about 450-litres, but quite a bit of that space is taken by the strapped-on spare wheel. You can still easily manage to store two large suitcases.
Performance
The new C-Class is available with three engine options — all of them 4-cylinder mills paired with Merc's 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission. The petrol C 200 that I test drove was a 1,496cc engine delivering 204hp of peak power and 300Nm of torque. The C 220d's is a 1,993cc diesel engine generating 200hp of peak power and 440Nm of torque. And the C 300d is also a 2-litre diesel engine delivering 265hp of power and 550Nm of torque.
All three engines are being offered with the ISG (integrated starter generator). This second-gen ISG is being featured in a diesel for the first time and helps in efficiency improvements for all three powertrains. The 48-volt system essentially behaves like a parallel assist hybrid by bringing together an electric motor, battery pack and regen system. The system offers torque assist of about 200Nm (maximum) and this enables quicker acceleration, higher mileage, and lower emissions across the board. In fact, Merc claims that the rated fuel efficiency is now up 29 per cent, 22 per cent and 15 per cent for the C 200 (16.9kmpl), C 220d (23kmpl) and the C 300d (20.37kmpl), respectively.
The generation of 4-cylinders and mild hybrids for luxury cars is upon us and the choice of powertrains isn't a surprise anymore. My test mule C 200's 1.5-litre petrol engine is best driven with a light foot. With the ISG assistance and rising power delivery, the C 200 doesn't feel strained at city speeds and a gradual climb up to highway speed doesn't give away any sign of the mill's inherent limitations. It is only when I floor the throttle expecting a quick burst of acceleration that the engine feels laboured. Peak power is delivered at 5,800 rpm and the engine redline is at 6,100 rpm. The mid-rpm band is where it is weakest. That said, if you're not going to attempt carving corners or launching into a drag race, the C200 can still be fun to drive and quite engaging. Its top speed is still 246 kmph and the 0-100 kmph time is 7.3 seconds. In comparison, the C 300d AMG Line is the fastest sprinter at 5.7 seconds.
The ride quality in the new C 200 is just right, with the suspension’s behaviour adding to the sense of build quality. The taller profile tyres shod on the 17-inch wheels in the C 200 deal with broken tarmac better. The grip and improved ride delivered by the tyres, and the sharp and precise steering came in handy while driving through some of the winding sections in Mussoorie.
Bottom Line
The new C-Class is a significant upgrade over the previous generation. There is more space, more tech, more luxury inside the cabin, and it is more frugal. The mild hybrid system and the cabin upgrades alone make a case of choosing the new C. In its size class, the C 200 may seem less appealing for buyers looking for a sporty set of wheels. The C 300d may then be the one to choose. Yes, you'll be paying higher for the new C, but it might be well worth the premium. Prices range from ₹55 lakh to ₹61 lakh.
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