New Merc C-Class: A worthy competitor to Audi A4, BMW 3-series

The 2015 Mercedes C-Class takes the game forward, it's a big leap in most areas and feels very upmarket, says Faisal Ali Khan of MotorBeam.com

Mercedes-Benz has been on a product offensive in the Indian market this year. The automaker has launched a slew of vehicles and there is one more model yet to come, the new C-Class.

A very important car for Mercedes the world over, the C-Class is the company's entry-level rear-wheel drive vehicle.

The fourth generation C-Class is coming to India very quickly as our country is among the first to get the right-hand drive version of the W205 model.

The new C-Class gets Mercedes' new design language which results in this vehicle looking a lot like the big Benz, the S-Class. In fact, if one doesn't look closely, they might just mistake the new C for an S.

While the new car has grown in size, it is still quite compact, which is the biggest giveaway of it not being an S-Class.

Nice attention to detail with full LED lights at the front, striking lines on the side and a purposeful stance at the rear are the highlights of the new Mercedes C-Class.

The interiors of the new C-Class have gone upmarket too, the car now feels much richer and that's thanks to the use of well selected materials in the cabin.

Right from a two-tone dashboard to a lime wood finish on the centre console, the new C-Class just spells luxury.

The best part about the controls is the new touchpad which makes it easy to navigate through the COMAND system.

There are a ton of features on offer and our test car came equipped with a humongous panoramic roof, memory front seats with electric adjustability, ARTICO leather upholstery, three zone climate control, keyless go with push button start, 8.4-inch infotainment screen, rear parking sensors with camera and a 13-speaker Burmester audio system.

The crucial thing about the new Mercedes C-Class is the space it offers, there is an increase in room all around and that certainly makes the cabin a more comfortable place to be in.

The front seats offer good support and have excellent padding to ensure you are held tightly yet with a dose of comfort.

The rear seats offer plenty of legroom and headroom is ample too but under-thigh support is a bit lacking, more so for tall passengers.

The rear passenger can use manual sun blinds for the rear windows while there is an electric sun blind for the rear windscreen.

The rear AC vents have seven fan speeds which ensures you find your desired temperature without much fuss. The boot space of the C-Class is big but the placement of the spare wheel limits usability.

Mercedes is only launching the petrol C-Class which is the C200, powered by a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder mill that generates 181 HP of peak power and 300 Nm of peak torque.

This engine has a good mid-range punch and there is ample low-end grunt to make quick progress in stop and go traffic.

The motor doesn't rev as quickly but sounds very good and is quite vocal once past 4000 RPM. 0-100 km/hr takes 7.3 seconds. The engine is mated to a smooth shifting 7-speed automatic gearbox which isn't the quickest around.

The C-Class has 5 driving modes which alters the engine, gearbox, AC, steering and Eco start/stop function. They are - Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual.

In the lower settings, everything is relaxed but the C-Class is still quick. When you go into Sport+, everything becomes a bit intense, like the gearbox holds gears longer, the engine is always ready to pounce with every input of the accelerator pedal while the steering becomes heavier and weighs up even better.

The new C-Class uses a new platform which is lighter than before. The car has a stiffer chassis and with the Indian model getting increased ride height for higher ground clearance, ride quality isn't as good as before. Although still very compliant, bad roads reveal the stiff set-up of the car.

Handling is excellent but the new electric steering isn't as well weighed as the old hydraulic unit found in its predecessor. Braking performance is supreme and so is high speed stability.

The new Mercedes C-Class is definitely a big step up from the model it replaces. The new generation offering looks better inside out, carries more equipment and drives better too with performance being good.

The balance between dynamics is well achieved and the overall output is a car which is easily one of the best in the segment.

The new Mercedes C-Class is sure to sell well and once the diesel version arrives, this three-pointed star will only become more popular.

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