I'd like to start with a question - what makes a Mercedes Benz a Mercedes-Benz? Is it the three-pointed star? Or could it be the seemingly endless list of features? The distinctive looks, perhaps?
No. In my mind, it's the way it makes you feel -warm and fuzzy and stylish, all at the same time. There is no other car maker who has managed to do that quite like Mercedes. Now, for the Mercedes CClass Edition C. Or the C Class swan song, as it were.
This little number is being talked about in the media as the last iteration of this generation of the C Class.
They say an all new one is expected to be unveiled sometime next year. And frankly, I can't see why . You may argue that this generation of the C Class, with a few changes here and there, has been on sale for the last seven years. That, by default, means that that its competitors from Audi and BMW are, in the very least, half a generation newer.
But Mercedes-Benz seem to have a very simple phi losophy when it comes to the C Class -If it ain't broke, just make it better.
And that's precisely what they've done with the C Class Edition C. The C in Edition C stands for Celebration. And they've got quite a bit to celebrate because they've sold 10 million C Classes globally. The car itself looks great.
It's got blacked-out headlamps, beautiful 17-inch wheels and tiny Edition C badges on the front fenders. But the interior, by far, takes the cake. The front sports seats have Alcantara in the middle with leather on the sides. This means that you don't slide around in your seat through corners. It's a great idea to fuse the luxury of leather with the functionality of Alcantara.
The cabin itself is a nice place to be in, with an updated Satnav and the gear lever, unlike most Mercs, is on the floor.
As long as you're easy on the throttle, you won't be able to distinguish being in motion from being stationary. Again, trademark Mercedes. And the pure mechanical suspension feels absolutely sublime in the way it hides road conditions from its occupants. In fact, I'm going to stick my neck out and say that it rides better than an E Class (which has air suspension).
I found myself cruising in the city, a little slower than normal, not because I was wanting for power, but because I wanted to take in as much as I could of the experience. Things change on the highway, though. On the concrete-surfaced, Mumbai-Pune Expressway, it glides over the rather poor surface with grace and very little tyre roar while doing upwards of 170kph.
And yes, the C is completely poised even at those speeds.
It has an inherent calm, like a Yogaist (or whatever they're called), that you just can't put your finger on. It feels at peace with itself. The 2.14-litre diesel four puts out 170bhp and 400Nm of torque in this 220 CDI guise. And it suits the car perfectly . All the power you need, when you need it, but delivered in that creamy, progressive, Mercedesy sort of way .
As with most Mercs, my primary complaint is of the gearbox. I strongly recommend that Mercedes buy themselves an Audi to see what a proper doubleclutch should be. Because the Merc's gearbox, especially when you need it to quickly kick down a few gears, takes a few seconds longer than you'd like.
And the steering, even in its Sport setting, feels slightly underweighted for spirited driving. All things considered though, the C220 CDI Edition C feels like what a Mercedes should. They've managed to distill the very essence of their brand into a product that's seven years old.
If it were up to me, I wouldn't let this C Class go out of production just yet. It's a great car that I believe has another year's worth of happy customers left in it. If only Mercedes-Benz would agree with me.
