The Drivers Hub’s boys (my current superiors, Soham Saraf and Shreshth Gourish) were planning to take the C300 to catch the sunrise in Kolad. Being a fairly new intern, I felt like a kid who wants nothing more than to hang around with his older cousins. I was packing up for the day and already thinking about the usual journey home, when Soham asked me if I could join them. It took a second and then my mind exploded with excitement. With a straight face, I muttered “yes”. Since we were going to spend the whole night with the C300, I used it as an excuse to get more intimate with the car. Here are my observations of the C300 after my one-night-stand with her. (and the boys)
In order to catch the sunrise, we left before the sun rose. It was dark outside. And this is when the interior of the C300 comes to life. If you ask a kid to dream of a fancy interior, the kid will end up dreaming about the C300. It’s just a special place to be in. The ambient lighting makes the interior feel like a late-night club. The sound insulation from all the chaos outside just elevates that sense of quietness which is associated with luxury. And if you crank your favorite songs on the brilliant Burmester stereo, you literally feel those lyrics.
The massive 11.9 inch vertical infotainment display dominates the center console. It controls everything in the car. Everything. This makes it too complicated and you are left confused with so many options staring at you. The high-res 3D cameras deserve a special mention as they make driving on bad roads easier. The car gets heated and ventilated front seats and rear sunblinds which are only in its segment. The rest of the interior is filled with soft-touch materials and a glossy finish.
The rear-seat is comfortable even on long road trips and the legroom is decent. Although most of the owners would get behind the wheel of this car, it is nice to know that you can also be chauffeured to work.
Driving it on the twisties of Tamhini Ghat, the C300 surprised us with its driving dynamics. The short wheelbase made it nimble in the corners, unlike the 330li which is only available in long wheelbase.
The C300 gets a 2.0 4-cylinder engine pushing 258hp and 400nm torque. It also gets a 48v mild-hybrid system giving it another 27hp. The 9-speed transmission is sluggish but gets the job done when you put it in Sports Plus. And when you make the switch to Sports Plus, the speakers pump in fake engine noises which might not be of everyone’s taste.
Since it is rear-wheel drive, the front end grips the asphalt while cornering. The steering is numb as is the case with most cars nowadays, but accurate. It handles rather well for a Mercedes.
The ride is compliant and comfortable as the adaptive dampers soak most of the imperfections on the road. But when you put it in Sport Plus mode, the ride becomes stiff resulting in better handling.
We reached Kolad just as the Sun was about to rise. The golden sunrays reflected on the brilliant Sodalite Blue color of our vehicle. Park it, and you can look back on a beautiful piece of design. Although design is a subjective concept, it can be said that the C-class has perfect proportions. The AMG alloy wheels complement the athletic stance of the car. Fun fact, the front grille has a star design with a total of 240 tiny Mercedes logos on it.
In conclusion, the car is not just another one made for the sole purpose of sales and profit. This one is pampered with all the bells and whistles of an over-the-top interior and stellar performance.
And for the final plot-twist, the pricing. The C300 is priced at Rs. 69 Lakhs ex-showroom. Add up all the taxes and RTO registration, you are looking at almost Rs. 82 Lakhs on-road price. And guess what? You can pick up the BMW M340i with its legendary B58 engine, just by shelling out some extra money. But, for those looking for the classic sense of luxury of the 3-pointed star, look no further than the C300.
