Cabin space is decent as opposed to
generous, but the way it wraps around occupants is comforting, cocooning,
without ever feeling claustrophobic. However there is a sense of width in the
cockpit area. Thanks to its low roofline, rear headroom isn't the best in the
business, nor is rear legroom, which is problematic if you're German, although
an average Asian person won't be bothered much. Overall though, I can only
conclude that this changes the interior game by a significant degree; the
C-Class really pushes the bar of what you'd expect from a luxury compact
executive. Granted, of course, that they get the price and specs right when it
does arrive on our side of the world.
The
Mercedes' driving position is excellent
Our first drive session covers 80
picturesque French kilometres, pushing off from Marseille Airport, through
sleepy French suburban areas, graffiti-filled thoroughfares, and pass
awe-inspiring coastal cliff sides. The day's destination is La Villa Madie - a
quaint restaurant, perched high on a rocky cliff in a commune known as Cassis,
where a view of the Mediterranean Sea makes for a spectacular lunch backdrop.
Sun-kissed cliffs, glistening blue water, surreal skies, and other such postcard-worthy
sceneries - this is the sort of external influence I talked about earlier, the
kind that we need to be mindful of as journalists; although to its credit, the
C-Class manages to keep the limelight on itself. My pace is steady, driving
lines reserved, and revs kept low through that familiar 7G-TRONIC Plus
transmission. Surprisingly, I'm finding a great deal of pleasure in making such
a sober jaunt through this meandering coastal road.
Integrated
touchpad works well but requires a little too much concentration to work
Refinement- it is engrained so deeply, so
intrinsically, Ill the C-Class. The Air-matic suspen, for example, is a feature
unheard of in this segment, but it is present in the C 250 Bluetec I'm driving.
Whether or not they've perfected the system to cope with warmer tropical
climates is yet to be proven, but out here, in chilly, sunny France. It is
working wonderfully; refining road imperfections at a level you wouldn't
expect. In the more dynamic of its 4 settings, the Airmatic system does a
fantastic job of distributing extra resistance to each of its 4 corners,
stiffening damping on the side that would otherwise lean when entering a bend.
Unfortunately, both the Air-matic suspension and the 2.1-litre, 500Nm
diesel-powered C 250 Bluetec won't be available in Malaysia: the former due to
the generally poor Malaysian reception of air suspension technology and the
latter to interior diesel quality.
The
C-Class features a glossy 8.4-inch tablet-style screen in place of the standard
seven-inch display
I find my way to the more relevant C 250
Petrol, which I have the pleasure of driving on the journey back to Marseille.
The C 250's engine formula is a familiar one - 2 litres, 4 cylinders and a
turbocharger. There's 211hp and 350Nm to play with, and the car feels as brisk
as its 6.6-second century sprint suggests. You wouldn't call it quick or
urgent, but it has enough grunt to venture easily beyond the 200km/h mark (top
speed is rated at 250km/h). I'm pushing a bit harder for the drive back and the
C is holding itself exceptionally well; even managing to keep up with the C400
ahead, which, mind you, has a 3-litre V6. No word on whether that one will make
it over yet.
This particular C 250 does without the
Airmatic suspension and put up a good demonstration of its all-steel suspension
system's capabilities, which utilizes a new 4-link principle on its front axle.
Essentially, the innovation allows the wheel suspension to be fully decoupled
from the spring strut, which in turn allows for excellent axle kinematics. The
result is a level of compliance and minimized body roll superior to that of
standard multilink suspension types.
