Mercedes C Class

The month of July saw the South African motoring industry turn its focus to the Eastern Cape as Mercedes-Benz launched its new C-class coupe and sedan range.

I’ve always been of the view that as much as Mercedes-Benz cars boast the neatest looking interiors, they appealed more to people who have survived mid-life crisis, waiting patiently to count out their pension pennies.

I guess the boffins of Mercedes realised this too, thus the new range is sexier and looks to rival the obvious choice of the “yuppies”.

According to Mercedes, the award-winning C-Class has been rejuvenated, resetting the standard in its segment.

The result? It’s lighter, faster, more powerful, younger, and more resolute.

The new C-Class is flying the flag, as it is made in South Africa, a blistering success by the team at our very own East London plant. According to Rainer Rauss, MBSA vice-president, this is one of only four plants in the world that will manufacture the new C-Class, the other three being in Mercedes Mutterland, Germany.

In achieving the goal of making the new C-Class a standard in its own right, Mercedes-Benz applied features and endless technology, which they describe using fancy catchy words, such as “Play it safe” – the hi tech safety features built into the car, including alerts when signs of drowsiness is detected, “At your command” – the multimedia command system, which boasts 10GB of music space, “Light Bender” – its advanced lighting system, which adjusts the external light based on the road being driven on, “Take it Away” – its stop/start system which aids fuel consumption, and “Inside Glory” – its younger, sportier interior look.

These features and more can also be found in the brand new C-Class coupe, which brings more of a sporty, edgy personality, and serious good looks to the Mercedes-Benz pack.

The shape of the nose and the double-louvered grille are unmistakeably C-Class. However, the long bonnet, slightly sharper angle of the windscreen, and the lengthened roof line make the coupe stand out as a brand new addition to the C-Class range.

Mercedes-Benz has finally come to the mid-range coupe party, and there’s no doubt this will get the current Audi A5 and BMW 3 series coupe enthusiasts looking its way.

Pricing for the C-class sedan will start at R 359,000 while the coupe starts at R394000.

David Abbey