CARS
THERE will soon be a manic version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class called the C63 AMG, which will have a huge V8 engine and more torque than a tractor. But for some, the C350 has to be the ultimate C-Class.
If discreet styling and polished performance are more important than wild bodykits and steroid-induced power, then the Mercedes-Benz C350 is perfect.
Unlike other smaller C-Class models, the C350 has a top-of-the-range 3.5-litre V6 engine with 272 hp and 350 Newton-metres of torque.
But step on the gas and it feels strangely underwhelming. Perhaps it is the 1,610 kg mass of German metal, but there appears to be no evidence of a muscular V6 under the hood driving the rear wheels. All is quiet on the performance front as the baby Benz doesn't leap forward quite as enthusiastically as you might expect.
But the oomph is there nevertheless. The first frissons of excitement manifest themselves as speed is built up, especially when going in anything other than a straight line. The C350 has excellent reserves of mid-range torque for an effortless performance when it comes to spur-of-the-moment overtaking.
The V6 unit is inspired. It is smooth but with texture and attitude - not so much silky like a sweet beancurd dessert but somewhere a little closer to a tofu burger.
Working together with the seven-speed automatic transmission, it produces a much lower level of mechanical noise than a four-cylinder C-Class with the five-speed gearbox.
The best thing about it, however, is that it is great to drive. The accurate, well-weighted steering wheel responds immediately to each input. Old Mercs used to have the driver appeal of a used diaper. Not any more, although not many who buy the C350 would complain if the steering was a bit quicker
Nor would they if the lateral action of the manual shifting gear lever was dropped. The +/- for the 7G-Tronic is accomplished by nudging the gear lever left or right, and although it is more ergonomic than the competition's forwards and backwards system, it is less instinctive. But with the Advanced Agility Control (AAC) package - standard on the C350 and C280 - a pair of steering wheel-mounted paddles negate the use of the gearstick.
AAC differs from the usual Agility Control suspension, which is standard in the smaller-engined C-Class models. Agility Control varies the damping forces automatically to suit the driving situation. So if you're driving gently, the damping forces are reduced for increased ride comfort; drive like a madman and the shock absorbers are loaded to better stabilise the car.
On the other hand, AAC offers two programs - sport or comfort. Pick either and the dampers become infinitely variable. The gear changes for the seven-speed automatic transmission are also slower or faster depending on the program selected.
In sport mode, the ride is noticeably stiffer and unseen undulations in the road are immediately felt. But AAC, which is also called the Dynamic Handling package, certainly lives up to its name. The C350 immediately becomes nimbler and swifter in response.
All these new features add up to a much improved C-Class.
The attention to detail is amazing. Even the inside door handle is moulded to provide a better grip when closing the door. Best of all, the C-Class now comes from Germany, not South Africa. This C definitely scores an A.
What's new about the C-Class
BESIDES its sportier and more attractive styling, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class boasts several technological advances.
Some, like the Advanced Agility Control suspension or Dynamic Handling Package, will appeal mainly to younger buyers, like the standard Bluetooth and MP3/iPod interface.
But there are less obvious innovations too. One of them is ventilated tail lights for better aerodynamics, while another is a twin rubber drainage channel to keep the rear window clean even in heavy rain, thus ensuring a good view.
The new C-Class has the best drag coefficient in its segment - 0.27. Air resistance - and consequently, fuel consumption - have been reduced by using tail lights with ventilating slits, which perform the function of the more conventional spoiler lip, for a cleaner rear-end design.
When the car is moving, air is sucked in from the underbody and redirected out through the slits in the tail lamp lenses. The tail lights are hermetically sealed against the vehicle body, so the air can only escape to the side via the slits.
Mercedes-Benz says that without this sophisticated aerodynamic feature, the slipstream would be conducted behind the rear end of the saloon at the tail lights, causing unnecessary turbulence and air resistance.
As for the rubber drainage lip on the rear window, it sucks away rainwater by collecting it and conducting it away to the sides by the slipstream.
What the two-piece rubber lip does is act as a transition between the roof and the rear window. It features an open channel and a partly enclosed channel. Because of the pressure conditions at the rear edge of the vehicle's roof, rainwater first runs towards the middle in the open channel, where suction draws it outwards. It then flows away downwards through the enclosed channel along the window edging, thus keeping the window clean even at high speeds.
