The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is irrefutably the best-selling car with the three-point star, and may be even the best-selling luxury car, period. It has been setting sales records for a while now, and this upward trend may not likely vanish anytime soon. The luxury German marque has been selling the C-Class since its debut over two and a half decades ago. Spanning five generations, the most recent C-Class iteration was unveiled in 2014 and is known internally as the W205. It became the first new Mercedes-Benz car to feature the carmaker’s latest Modular Rear Architecture (MRA) platform. Of course, what essentially means is that all C-Class models sport a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout and thus, unsurprisingly, making it a rear-wheel drive vehicle.
Globally, the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class continues to be available in four different variants, namely as a sedan, station wagon, coupe, and convertible. In the United Arab Emirates, however, the new C-Class is available in every shape, except for the station wagon. The range commences with the C180 that comes in at 165,000 dirhams, topping off with the C63S AMG which costs a whopping 420,000 dirhams (before options). Being the base model, the C180 comes equipped with a modest 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine which is good for 156 hp and 250 Nm of torque. It sends drive to the rear wheels via a 7-speed automatic transmission, enabling a 0-100 km/h run in 8.5 seconds and a top whack of 223 km/h. The C63S AMG, on the other hand, is a completely different animal. Its handbuilt, 4.0-liter, twin-turbo V8 chucks out 510 hp and a stomach-twisting 700 Nm of torque. Mashing the accelerator pedal in this hooligan will result in a naught to 100 km/h sprint time of just 4.0 seconds, whilst top speed is electronically-limited to 250 km/h. However, if decent mileage (5.6 L/100 km) and adequate performance (0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds) are all that you need, then the 175,000-dirham C200 should do you great.
The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class is not only lighter and more efficient than its predecessor, but also features a gorgeous-looking exterior with an achingly-stunning and sophisticated interior as well. It’s evidently clear that the new C-Class closely resembles the flagship S-Class, which is obviously a great thing. Also great is the C’s sturdy build quality, classy fit & finish, and the level of craftsmanship behind the beautiful interior trim and fixtures. Of course, the S-Class is still in a different league, but the distance between the two isn’t exponentially huge. The C-Class offers a good blend of confident handling and comfortable ride quality, but it’s clearly more of a wafty long-distance cruiser instead of a corner-carving tool like the BMW 3-Series.The Mercedes is the quieter car though, as its cabin feels almost like a cocoon in comparison to its relatively-noisy Bavarian rival.
On the gadgets front, you can get the new C-Class with a ton of kit, including radar cruise control, intelligent adaptive air suspension, Merc’s multi-beam dynamic LED headlights, multi-zone climate control, full-leather upholstery, powered, heated and cooled front seats with memory function, a panoramic glass roof, power tailgate, ambient lighting, 19-inch AMG wheels, AMG sports exhausts, rain-sensing wipers, a 10.25-inch upgraded COMAND head unit with navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a rocking Burmester premium audio system with up to 13 speakers and 590 watts of sound. Mercedes-Benz has also crammed the new C-Class up to its neck with a multitude of safety features – both passive and active. Of course, you get a full complement of SRS airbags and almost all of the electronic nannies that the German carmaker has at its disposal.
