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2022 Mercedes C-Class First Drive Review


The sedan became the Jan Brady of the automobile. They’re overlooked and underappreciated, as consumers spend the attention of first-borns on SUVs or mock the newest electric kids.

So when brand new 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class was announced, inaccurate news lit up the world. But now that I’ve driven the standard C 300, I feel a little guilty about ignoring how important it is, at least to SUV denizens determined to keep their feet and seats closer to the ground. . In fact, this is new C-Class is a tremendous addition to the sedan ranks. It’s elegantly styled, richer and more technically complete than any of its rivals, and incredibly satisfying to drive. And its all-round excellence bodes well for later versions. They include a 2023 AMG C 43 Sport by the end of this year, with standard AWD and rear-wheel drive; and a 402-horsepower from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 48-volt hybrid assistance and electric turbocharging.

Count the entire lifespan of the current generation, and the C-Class remains the most popular Mercedes; whether here, in China or worldwide, with global sales of 2.5 million sedans and wagons as of 2014. But a model that found more than 85,000 buyers in the US each year in mid-2010 couldn’t escape the sedan spiral. industry, including sales of just under 31,000 people last. five. It’s time to grow the franchise, even if GLC-Class SUVs are now considered the star of home sales – Mercedes’ Marcia, if you will – with 51,000 customers by 2021.

To do that, Mercedes climbed to its top shelf to raid the key S-Class features, including its impressive 11.9-inch vertically oriented touchscreen that is subtly tilted six degrees toward the driver for use in C. color head-up display. That’s all wrapped up in a more spacious interior with a graceful nod to S-Class – with flattering things like laser-cut Burmester speaker grilles, ambient lighting, polished metal and natural-grain wood – while leaving almost nothing out of mid-range luxury E-Class. We’re not sure the last C-Class ever relinquished its status as King of Cabins in the compact sport sedan segment, but new carHolding the throne is undisputed. It also currently has the most rear legroom in its class, at 36 inches. That’s just 0.2 inches larger than that E-Class‘back seat.

For a homecoming, Mercedes accentuated the C-Class’ traditional long-roof, retro-cabin proportions, pushing the windshield and passenger space towards the rear axle. Mercedes’ A-shaped grille and three-pointed star – fortunately, neither oversized nor making a radical statement – front is a confident electric dome roof. Valuable AMG The optional Line with Night Package ($3,050) fills the grille with small chrome Mercedes stars (a nice touch), modifies the front and rear air intakes and exhaust outlets, and adds more side extensions. Other features include a sport suspension and steering wheel, brushed aluminum pedals, a dashboard decorated with MB-Tex leatherette and perforated perforations. brake disc with clip with Mercedes-Benz logo.

The body creases of the previous C-Class are softened, enhancing the streamlined “catwalk” shoulder line. And the former butt is somewhat chunky, and the speckled taillights have been reshaped for an intriguing effect. Slender two-piece LED taillights, a first for the C-Class, sweep across the trunk lid and narrow into sharp points. At the start of our two-day drive from New York to the Catskills and back, the C-Class seemed almost too serious. But the well-proportioned sedan, and its unproven luxury, kicked me in almost immediately. For me, the more classic design of the C is much more successful than the top of the Mercedes EQS.

Mercedes has stretched the new model 2.5 inches to 187 inches (just one Audi A4 or Cadillac CT4, and 1.3″ longer than the BMW 3 Series, with a 1-inch longer wheelbase. It’s about half an inch wider and lower. There’s more shoulder and elbow room front and rear, rear legroom is almost an inch wider, and rear headroom is 0.4 inches wider despite the lower roofline. The standard clamshell-style panoramic sunroof enhances the spacious impression. The rear seats can be folded, including a switch in the trunk, to open up more flexible space.

As noted, that interior is a treat. Widely upgraded seats with swivel headrests on single pillars, with a range of colors and interior treatments – a classy red and black combo, or brick-like AMG Sienna Brown color with natural wood grain combined with real aluminum. Ambient lighting adorns the doors, dashes and air vents in aircraft-inspired metal in 64 color options. Architects will dig up non-cantilever handrails and “floating” light-edged door control housings. The three-spoke steering wheel looks nice, as are the metal gearshift paddles that are bright, cool, and polished like river stone.

The MBUX infotainment, despite the improvements gained from the larger screen, still requires a learning curve at first. But once your steering wheel thumbs and brain are exercised, MBUX is truly a convenient – and undeniably – way to navigate today’s data-heavy automotive landscape. One exception is the control chiclet on the left side of the wheel, which manages the graphically rich, free-flowing driver’s display, including a full-screen 3D map view: Too often frequently, it mistakes the left-to-right thumb sweep for up and down and gets the like icon when doing a radio station change or other operation. Still, the optional Augmented Reality navs are awe-inspiring, superimposing directional arrows, street signs, and even addresses over the real-time camera environment. (The addresses that hover and disappear, Rolodex-style, on the ultimate approach to a hard-to-find business or rural driveway, are a godsend to technology.)

Option to apply the new one “Zero Layer” main screen the design first seen on EQS cleverly avoids digging into distracting menus. It keeps the map view in sight, flanked by personalized main “modules” and “magic modules” tiles driven by machine learning of history and human behavior. drive. In one example, if the car detects that the driver tends to call its partner on the daily route home, it will put the phone number on the screen at the ready. Biometric fingerprint readers can keep predictions based on that behavior and other matters private, unlock MBUX for individual users, calendar, e-mail, payment authorization of users them, etc. The online music services are now integrated into the MBUX ecosystem. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. To all of that, the C-Class adds the latest series of Siri-style voice commands “Hey Mercedes”.

Fortunately, when fingers grip the steering wheel, the C 300 is equally capable. Sports sedan enthusiasts can see the C 300’s four-cylinder, 255-horsepower, and 295 pound-feet of torque and say, “Where’s my AMG?” Peak power is actually unchanged from 2021, with 20 pound-feet more peak torque. But the C 300’s secret weapon is the M 254 2.0 liter engine. For the first time, the all-new engine combines the top features of Mercedes’ modular four and six-cylinder engines. These include patented Cylinder coating “nano”Anti-friction, weight-saving technology is also used in Mercedes’ F1 electric Factory. 48-volt mild-hybrid system-integrated engine; and a new twin-scroll turbocharger whose technology was also developed in conjunction with Mercedes’ Petronas F1 team – and previews the record-setting four-cylinder power in upcoming AMG C-Classes. The hybrid system provides a temporary but underpowered boom of up to 20 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. Its starter/generator provides nearly imperceptible engine start/stop functions. The electric motor, cooling, and power electronics are all packaged in (or on top of) a smooth nine-speed gearbox for weight and power efficiency; including energy recovery and gliding when the engine is off.

Mercedes’ estimate of 5.9 seconds to 60 mph spray isn’t conservative, it’s producing sand: 5.3 or 5.4 seconds seems more similar. During our spring we roam in Hudson Valley, if someone told me this Benz had 300 horses, I would believe it. The engine isn’t an exciting rev, with full throttle coming in just before the 6,400 rpm red line. But the smooth current and powertrain fill in any gaps in the engine’s armor. The new engine also sounds better – surprisingly raspy at full throttle, as noisy on the highway as any library-like Benz.

One more seriously dialed suspension and the C 300 was Dirty Dancing in the Catskills, especially in Sport Plus mode increases throttle response and the transmission is inherently responsive. The C 300 is equipped with beautiful 19-inch multi-spoke AMG wheels, optional with summer tyres. All-season rubber boots are standard. Trip is certain, but never punishing. There’s a touch of bodywork, in the way of any base sports sedan, but it’s all part of the experience.

This C 300 reminds me, again, that you don’t need 500 horsepower to have a good time. A bit like a Honda Civic compared to the Type R – yes, Mercedes, this is a compliment – the C 300’s explosive and supple quadruple chassis makes me wonder why I need to spend more for an AMG version. So what if passing requires more planning in advance, or just needs to hold you back longer?

Improve energy saving Is the green icing on the cake: EPA The C 300 is recorded with 23 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway, the latter representing a 2 mpg increase over last year. EPA can be remarkable things: Keeping speeds just under 70 mph, I managed to hit a remarkable 41 mpg during the 60-mile journey. The nine-speed gearbox helps the engine accelerate to just 1,400 rpm at 70 mph and 1,700 rpm at 80 mph. Then, even as many stretches of the road pass through the bends of the highway, backing up keeps the C-Class at 37 mpg.

In terms of pricing, 2022’s line-simplification strategy offers three distinct trim lines – Premium, Exclusive and Pinnacle – with far fewer a la carte options. So a C 300 Premium starts at $44,600, goes up to $46,850 for the Exclusive and Pinnacle version at $48,500. For all models, the improved 4Matic AWD system, which can redirect more torque to the front axle to improve dynamics, will add $2,000.

The C 300 Pinnacle test car hit $57,970, with add-ons like the $1,950 Driver Assistance Package that adds more than a dozen semi-autonomous and safety features. But a disciplined shopper can easily keep this C-Class closer to $50,000, especially if your geography and outlook don’t call for an AWD 4Matic.

As Mercedes has specified models as GLA-Class To open its doors and welcome new shoppers, the C-Class – once called the “Baby Benz” in 190 – was allowed to grow, mature and gain a higher status in the brand family. . This new model underscores that Mercedes’ move is in the right, even as SUVs capture the limelight and show floor. This C-Class is a true aspirational sedan for adults of all ages; a base-class S- or E-Class is still compact, sporty, fuel-efficient and not at all stuffy. It’s not cheap, and the really expensive, powerful stuff isn’t out yet. But drop $50,000 on this C 300, and I guarantee you’ll feel like a million bucks.

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