11:11PM - 05.08.'14
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News Source: autoblog.com
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It ain't easy being the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Up until now, the compact luxury sedan has had a tough job description: offer sufficient driving dynamics to allow it to compete with the lauded BMW 3 Series, while also serving as the lowest cost of entry into the coveted Mercedes-Benz portfolio. Daimler has had to make it good enough to steal people away from BMW, Audi, Cadillac, Infiniti and Lexus, yet make it affordable and reasonable enough to win over first-time luxury shoppers. Talk about a tall order. But now Mercedes has the CLA-Class – a slick little front-drive sedan that creates a new bottom end for the brand here in the United States, effectively taking those entry-level duties off of the C-Class' plate. It's clearly working – as of this writing, Mercedes-Benz executives say the company has but a nine-day supply of CLAs and it recently had to add a third shift at its factory in order to keep up with demand. So with fewer needs to fill, where does the C-Class go from here? There's only one direction to go: Up. Autoblog contributor and Man About Town Jonathon Ramsey got an early taste of the C-Class in European spec this year, and to say he walked away impressed wouldn't do his First Drive justice. According to his initial drive report, the C-Class has transformed from a formidable German competitor in a fierce segment into a true juggernaut that makes a convincing bid for the company's "The Best or Nothing" tagline. That heady praise in mind, I naturally jumped at the chance to put the new US-market C through its paces on American soil. If you're like us, you've been drooling over the new C-Class ever since it debuted at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show this past January. You're undoubtedly familiar with its miniature S-Class styling, proudly displaying sleek yet aggressive facial features (especially with those full-LED headlamps), classically beautiful proportions, a short rear deck with elegantly styled taillamps and an attractive family of 17-, 18- and 19-inch wheels. Ramsey accurately described how it's all too easy for an automaker to slap some hallmark design cues on a vehicle to try and sell a family resemblance, but it's much, much harder "to make your near entry-level sedan feel like your marquee brougham." We couldn't agree more, with the caveat that you can't really appreciate how handsome this new C-Class is until you see it on the road. The long hood/short trunk proportions from the larger S-Class totally work here, and right away, they draw attention to the fact that C's mission is luxury first, sport second. The short front overhang, low stance and careful use of curves and angles really work to make a cohesive package that comes across as far more upscale than not only the CLA, but any previous C-Class. Nowhere is that more apparent than inside the cabin. This isn't just best-in-class stuff – this is one of the nicest luxury car interiors you're likely to find, full stop. It bests everything currently on offer in the entire Mercedes-Benz portfolio short of the S-Class, and offers a more premium, luxurious experience than a vast majority of more expensive offerings from German rivals. The design is a good chunk of the story, where flowing lines devoid of harsh edges or angles all work together to lend the interior a truly elegant feel. All of the leathers and woods and plastics come together in a very specific way that radiates attention to detail – this interior was not designed with individual pieces fitted together, it was crafted as one entity, and it shows. The leathers are wonderful, the optional natural wood finishes are some of the best you'll touch, and the aluminum trim looks and feels as premium as it does in the larger S-Class. What's more, despite a relatively high beltline, visibility is good all around. The front seats are particularly comfy and the back seats aren't bad, though sitting back there reminds you that this is indeed a smaller car despite its big luxury sedan aura. Of course, to most of this segment's buyers, luxurious appointments are far more important than sporty cues in the cockpit, but if they buyer desires, a Sport Pack (optional on C300 models, standard on C400) includes things like a thick-rimmed, flat-bottom wheel, open-pore black ash trim, aluminum pedals and so on. We're likewise big fans of the neatly organized gauge cluster, which offers involving bits for the driver to focus on while leaving passengers to gaze upon the flowing center stack with its three prominent air vents and two rows of climate control and infotainment switchgear. The center stack sweeps down to the small control center that houses the COMAND knob and touchpad, as well as the drive mode toggle ("Agility Select" in Mercedes-speak) and stereo volume control. |
