Test Drive: Mercedes C-Class (2018) is the quintessential sedan

We interrupt Mercedes’ SUV broadcast with a special report: they are still building sedans. Under the ceaseless explosion of SUVs and crossovers, the archetypal sedan is still with us, largely intact and the epitome of controlled ride with correct proportions and weight placement.  The C-Class remains Merc’s top-seller, not the SUV with 22-inch wheels packaged with superfluous driving modes.

And because the C-Class shoots a direct arrow to the flagship S-Class, both in purpose and layout,  the facelifted 2018 version becomes a rather astute understudy if things like autonomous drive and active safety are on your wishlist against the modern backdrop of the humble car.

Confusion between facelift and new isn’t helped by the numbers; 50 per cent of this C-Class is new. That’s over 6500 components, which to our minds mitigates it from the words ‘sprinkle’, ‘handful’ or ‘subtle’. Could we honestly examine the outgoing C-Class and find 6500 faults? Try name just six…

But the changes don’t reveal themselves in images unless grille blades or LED lights enthuse you. Easier to choose the AMG-Line in either sedan, coupe or convertible and let the rest flow from there. What I will say is that through time, Mercedes has put new resolve into defining its 43 range with a few exclusive cosmetic items while that engine at 287kW (up 15kW) and 520Nm is one of the current world’s greatest turbo V6s you can buy.

Back to the revised 2018 C-Class. It remains as serene to drive as ever even if the lower engine models don’t quite chant a rear-wheel drive anthem like some rivals do, the C-Class relaxes and floats with a clinical finesse, brushing over surfaces nonchalantly by using a mix of structural materials in perfectly weighted harmony.

This latest 2018 C-Class therefore doesn’t kick the toolbox to effect major change. Inventory comes from finger-snapping software downloads supported by an alchemy of cameras and radars to imbue the C-Class with typical Benz level of autonomy –  as far as current legislation will permit – and regarded as the best when it comes to identifying a variety of obscure road markings. Other facsimiles of S-Class and E-Class beyond the new interior materials are the touch pads on the steering wheel which work great most of the time but then delve so deep in a menu of vertical scrolling that you think there’s no hope of ever surfacing. Pity that the new A-Class (launched in SA this month) renders this optional 12.3 inch screen slightly less cohesive in the grand scheme of things, even if the systems they run don’t differ all that significantly.

There’s a new engine too in the C200, which at 1.5-litres is no longer considered small. A few years ago this would have prompted severe resentment towards a premium brand but if it means that more AMGs can roam free on the other end of the CO2 seesaw, we’re all for it. Comes with a 9-speed box and 48-volt EQ boost starter generator hybrid system which once through the jargon sieve raises power and torque in unobtrusive fashion. The 2.0-litre petrol of 190kW and 370Nm in the C300 is a newer, obviously cleaner and all-things-better version of the engine it replaces and amid it all is a 1.6-litre diesel which surely has to be fading in the presence of the C200’s more relevant engine. Andrew Leopold

SPECIFICATION

• R613 500
• 1497cc, 4cyl turbo, RWD 136kW, 280Nm
•  6.1l/100km, 136g/km CO2
• 0–100km/h in 7.7secs, 240km/h
• 1505kg
• Verdict: All the really swish stuff is optional, but with it the impression of an S-Class is nearly mirrored