New Mercedes-Benz C-class C 200 petrol review, test drive

What is it like to drive?

We know there’s a diesel coming later, but at launch, the new Mercedes-Benz C-class will be offered with only the petrol engine - the C 200. This is the same 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine as in the E 200, and it produces 181bhp and 30.5kgm of torque. It’s very refined when you’re idling and it only makes itself heard when you’re really going for it, and even then, it’s a rather pleasing snarl. This car is also equipped with Mercedes’ ‘Agility Select’ drive modes; five of them - Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual (which lets you customise the different settings). These different modes alter the engine and gearbox, steering, air-conditioner performance and engine auto stop-start function, but the fixed suspension settings can’t be changed.

What you should know is that the Eco mode makes the steering nice and light but blunts throttle responses. However, this lazy setting makes gearshifts from the 7G-Tronic Plus torque-converter gearbox very smooth, and switches the air-con to its own ‘eco’ mode to save on fuel. Conversely, Sport+ mode offers the quickest throttle response, the most aggressive gearshifts, the heaviest steering, and is the only mode that deactivates engine stop-start by default. The other modes are a mix and match of these settings.

On the whole, the engine is pretty responsive, and though perhaps not quite as free-revving as some of the competition, delivers performance when and where you need it. It has a strong mid-range, which is a superb overtaking tool and, in true Merc fashion, you are whisked to some serious speeds with out any drama. Stay in Comfort mode, pin the throttle pedal down and the C-class gathers speed seamlessly like the Bullet Train

Switch to Sport + and you can immediately feel the powertrain get more aggressive. The engine hangs on in each gear longer, and under full bore accelerations there’s a noticeable jerk between shifts. However, downshifts are not particularly quick, and you have to drop revs quite a bit before the gearbox lets you swap to a lower cog.

The ride and handling too is completely transformed but it’s not all for the better. The new C-class has a stiffer, lighter chassis, which is a good base for brilliant dynamics. However, India-spec suspension is a bit too stiff for our roads. The taller (and stiffer) springs give a sharper rebound, whilst jagged edges and deep ruts can feel quite jarring (the low profile 225/50R17 tyres a culprit to some extent). The new car doesn’t have that all-conquering, bump-smothering ability of the last C-class (which we think rides better than even the current E-class) but over most surfaces it feels very comfortable and ride quality is right up there with the class best .

The good bit about the taller suspension and higher ground clearance is that speed breakers pose no problem. The C-class sailed over all the speed humps thrown at it in our short drive around the Kharghar area outside Mumbai, with the aplomb of an off-roader.

At high speed too, the C-class feels remarkably stable and well planted and again, though the suspension on an uneven surface feels like it's working overtime, the ride is pretty flat and supremely controlled, which makes the new Merc a brilliant highway cruiser. 

The C-class finally moves from a hydraulically assisted power steering to electric, which again has transformed the character of the car. Whilst we miss the wonderfully fluid and perfectly weighted feel of the older unit, the new steering is a whole lot quicker, giving this new C-class a much sharper turn-in and an eagerness to change direction. Couple this new found agility with the stronger, more responsive petrol motor, and its clear that the C-class is now far more entertaining to drive.