ROAD TEST: MERCEDES-BENZ C250 ELEGANCE:
The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has, in my opinion, always been a tad boring when compared to its rivals.
I just felt that it lacked some ambition in the looks department. Its 'pretty' styling never quite stood up to the sportier, more aggressive designs of competing offerings. However, this never affected sales much because the C-Class remains a seriously strong market leader within this competitive market segment.
Mercedes-Benz recently launched the facelifted or 'new generation' if you prefer. There are no drastic changes to the exterior of car yet the subtle alterations have made a huge difference.
For one, the car exudes a much sportier and more mature design. Mercedes says that there are 2000 new components fitted to the car, most of which lie beneath the skin. Most apparent though are the redesigned front and rear bumpers. The headlights are new and are swept-back to bring the car's design language closer to that of the E-Class, while the rear end gets more opulence in the form of new taillight clusters with LED indicators. Add some low profile 18-inch wheels and the car appears very eye catching indeed.
When it comes to the interior the C-Class has once again been brought more in line with its bigger brother. Gone is that silly letter box style lid which hid the LCD screen. We now find a much nicer interface mounted to the top of the dashboard. I have to admit; the cabin appears classier and exudes a slightly more luxurious feel than before.
The car was also fitted with a new feature called Comand Online, which allows you to browse the internet. Further enhancements include Bluetooth connectivity, which includes audio streaming. The dashboard-mounted screen is better positioned than before and is easier to operate using the selector wheel found on the centre console. Software for the SatNav is now of telematic technology, i.e. 3D maps, buildings and landmarks.
Safety is still of utmost importance, with systems like Pre-Safe Brake, Attention Assist, Blind Spot Assist and Adaptive High Beam Assist being available.
When it comes to driving the C-Class things are largely as they were before. It's comfortable and quiet, everything you would expect from a Merc. The major difference though is the engine in this model. Although it's badged as a C250, it is in fact still a 1.8-litre. A similar engine is found in the C180 and C200 models but this unit has a more liberal turbocharger.
This allows the C250 to push out 150kW and 310Nm. Power is sent to the rear wheels through Mercedes' acclaimed 7G-Tronic Plus transmission - although it's not quite 100% yet in my opinion. I found it to be somewhat undecided at times and in 'manual' mode the gear changes are not as fast as I would like them to be, there is still a slight delay. It is smooth though and with seven gears, fuel economy is much improved. I averaged 8.0l litres per 100km over the test period.
The really impressive thing about this C250 though is that fact that it is surprisingly sporty to drive. Throw it through some twists and bends and the rear end quickly becomes mercurial. It was a very different driving experience to what I was expecting from a C-Class and I think it's down to the engine. For a 1.8-litre to be that quick and have so much torque is highly impressive.
It's like someone at Mercedes-Benz just woke up and realised what the C-Class should really be like. The C250 changed my opinion about the C-Class. It looks more mature and aggressive yet remains classy. The interior has been significantly improved upon and the ride and handling impressed me greatly.
At R469 000 it is pricy considering that is the standard price and the model tested here had many optional extras that pushed it well above that mark. That said though, I feel that if you are restrained with the options list the C250 is a great package.
PRICE:
Mercedes C250 Elegance - R469 000
ALTERNATIVES:
Audi A4 2.0T Ambiente (155kW) - R399 000
BMW 325i AT (160kW) - R424 940
Chevrolet Lumina SSV (270kW) - R444 390
Lexus IS 250 S (153kW) - R429 900
VW CC 2.0 TSI Highline (155kW) - R370 950
Volvo S60 T6 Essential (224kW) - R464 000