While not as popular locally as it once was, the introduction of a new C-Class is a big deal for Mercedes-Benz South Africa, since they build it in East London. We received a C200 to review recently.
Locally produced products should be celebrated, particularly when one of the world’s most valuable premium automakers decides that your country is a suitable location to produce one of its most iconic models. In this instance, Mercedes-Benz is the premium car maker, and South Africa are the country chosen to assemble the latest C-Class. Despite the rapid decline in sales of vehicles in the small executive saloon car market, the C-Class remain an important model globally for the German brand. We recently received a C200 to evaluate.
Styling
There is no mistaking the new C-Class for anything other than the premium automaker’s mid-size executive saloon car, with its sleek headlamps, large grille and a particularly large version of the three-pointed star. Despite the new model being noticeably larger than before on paper, it still manages to look more compact than before. Our AMG Line press car looks particularly sporty with some of its design accents. It is just a pity that this style of car is falling out of favour with local consumers as the SUV craze continues.
Interior and space
Stepping inside the C-Class you are greeted with what genuinely resembles a small S-Class, and while there are many quality materials on offer, there are also some questionable plastics that feel out of place in a premium product. The general layout, new seat design and appearance of the interior has certainly raised the bar in this segment. The interior cannot be reviewed without addressing the sheer amount of real estate that screens take up inside, a whopping 24.2-inches.
The enormous 11.9-inch infotainment screen features the brand’s second generation of the MBUX which works in tandem with the 12.3-inch digitised instrument cluster. This is the best infotainment system that this writer has experienced thus far, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto only scratching the surface. The climate control, for example, is digitised but does not need to be accessed by going into the system, it is just always there, which is so much more convenient than other integrated systems.
The system has a fantastic resolution, has applications such as Spotify built-in, offers over-the-air updates, like your phone, is fast to respond to inputs and the voice control works a treat compared with the previous MBUX. The instrument cluster features some of the best 3D mapping we have ever seen too, and thanks to the customisation options for the look of the system which includes Discreet, Sporty and Classic, your C-Class can look different each time you drive. There is also the option, within these design styles to have either the Navigation system overlayed, the assistance systems or the vehicle’s service status.
From a practical perspective, the C-Class offers 455-litres of boot space, marginally less than the BMW 3 Series and the Audi A4, but enough to get four sets of golf clubs in, with the woods removed. The added dimensions mean more rear occupant space; however, we would still recommend that this model be used to transport a maximum of four occupants as the transmission tunnel impedes the centre passenger’s legroom
Performance and driving impression
The C200 is powered by a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine boosted by a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with a small electric motor. The combined outputs are 165kW and 300Nm of torque which is sent to the rear wheels by a 9-speed automatic gearbox. The new powertrain works very nicely indeed, offering reasonable acceleration, with the 0-100km/h sprint being dispatched in a claimed 7.3 seconds while the sound the four-pot makes is surprisingly sporty, with audible turbo whistles when the windows are wound down.
There are five driving modes, namely Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual. We tried all of them and found the sporty settings to be of least use, with Comfort and Eco really suiting the character of the vehicle. Speaking of the character of the vehicle, the C-Class is not as dynamic to drive as an Alfa Romeo Giulia or a BMW 3 Series, but it has nailed the luxury brief, offering a supple ride quality, reasonable handling, respectable refinement and does a good job of isolating you from the world outside, for a vehicle in this segment that is.
Safety
The C-Class was crash-tested by the USA-based IIHS vehicle safety programme in 2021 where it achieved the maximum ‘Good’ rating in all six of the categories tested while its accident avoidance and mitigation systems were all rated as ‘Good’ too. The model comes with 6 airbags as standard, ISOFIX child seat anchor points and is available with a host of semi-autonomous driver aids.
Fuel consumption
The 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine paired with the tiny electric motor is efficient, with our week test period resulting in a consumption figure of 8.6 L/100km, despite a claimed figure of 6.8 L/100km.
Pricing
There were an unspecified number of options on our test unit, however, the base price for an AMG Line C200 at the time of writing was R911 280. The C-Class range comes with a comprehensive 5-year/100 000km maintenance plan as standard.
Verdict
The latest C-Class certainly doesn’t disappoint, offering incredible in-car technologies, a thoroughly modern interior, a classy exterior and a driving experience befitting of a vehicle in this category. There are certainly rivals with better quality materials inside, slightly larger boots, better dynamics and lower price tags, but at the moment, the locally-produced C-Class is the benchmark in this segment.
Keyword: Mercedes-Benz C200 AMG Line (2022) review: Local is lekker