The motor industry is fairly complicated these days, no thanks to every manufacturer’s insistence on building every single model to fill every single niche. Then there are the rapid advances in mobile communication, media consumption, safety demands and apparent environmental issues… to land you at the driver’s door of this new Mercedes C200.
You should know: Twenty years ago, C200 meant 2-litre 4-cylinder engine. Nowadays, the new norm appears to be that the engine displaces anything but the number on the boot lid. This vehicle actually uses a Renault-sourced 1.5L 4-cylinder turbo-petrol which offers a highly impressive 150kW or 300Nm to play with.
What else? Did I mention the 48V hybrid system and 9-speed gearbox yet? Heavens, remember when five or six ratios were considered extravagant? Anyway. All this power goes to the rear wheels for a claimed 0-100km/h time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed around 245km/h. Average petrol consumption from the 66L tank is supposedly 6.8L/100km.
More info: Like most of their competitors these days, Mercedes-Benz uses a modular platform and shared components during the construction of this C-Class; which happens right here in southern Africa; in East London. To learn more about the mild hybrid turbo-diesel equivalent of this sedan, read my C220d review here.
Another modern trend is this car’s interior, because it consists of daring shapes, concealed garish lighting and what feels like 12 acres of flat screens. The upside of all this tech overload is that the cockpit has a fairly uncluttered layout and gadget-boys or –girls will revel in the multitude of menus and features displayed by the large central command screen.
Why you shouldn’t: Mercedes-Benzes have always been expensive, and most car prices in our market have risen to crazy levels, which means that the car you’re looking at now starts at ZAR1,067,000. Alas, Mercedes likes to charge extra for some of the cooler features, plus they’ve developed a nasty habit of alleging no-cost upgrades only to suddenly nail you with a required and expensive package.
Naughty, naughty.
Why you should: Because this stylish and highly sophisticated car is available in many interesting shades with very modern cabin choices; at reasonable upgrade pricing. Every new C200 AMG Line is also sold with a 2-year/unlimited-mileage warranty and 5-year/100,000km maintenance plan.
FULL SPEC LIST
| Engine: | 1,496cc mild-hybrid i-4 Turbo-petrol |
| Transmission: | 9-speed Automatic, RWD |
| Max. Power: | 150+15kW @ 5,800rpm |
| Max. Torque: | 300Nm @ 1,800rpm |
| Avg. cons.: | Claimed 6.8L/100km |
| 0-100km/h: | Claimed 7.3 seconds |
| Top Speed: | Claimed 245km/h |
| List Price: | From R1,064,106 (August 2023) |
