- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.0T, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
135kW, 300Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 6.6L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
Air and graces
PIGEONHOLE: Compact force-fed Benz.
PHILOSOPHY: Scaled down S-class looks, scaled down supercharged engine and a scaled down price.
WHO'S BUYING IT: Broad appeal with the over-40s because it matches modest cash outlay with a big dose of three pointed cachet.
WHY YOU'D BUY IT: The look and the price tag. But tell the neighbours it was the safety, handling, the performance.
WHY YOU WOULDN'T: Options list charges for everything except the air in the tyres. Cabin is smaller than it looks and the engine is noisy and thrashy when cold.
STANDARD EQUIPMENT: Climate control air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors, cruise control with speed limiter, cloth trim, fog lamps, steel wheels, remote central locking.
SAFETY: Dual front airbags plus front and rear side impact bags and drop-down "window" bags, anti lock brakes, pre-tensioning front seat belts, traction control and a four star body shell.
CABIN: Contemporary cockpit modelled on the big S class and made from high quality materials, although in Classic configuration it's tempting to spend the extra $732 on leather steering wheel and gear change. Good storage (but cassette and CD holders $144 extra), panoramic vision and careful ergonomic attention. The boot is generous for the class but there's no load through feature unless you pay an extra $700 for the ski port.
SEATING: Not instantly welcoming but familiarity breeds content. Firm, flat contours are the Benz way. Good range of adjustment in the front. Tight for long legs in the rear compartment.
ENGINE: The heart of the matter is a 2.0 litre four-cylinder mit supercharger (Kompressor if you're a good German engineer). This force-feeding of air/fuel mix is an old motor racing trick and elevates a modest four banger beyond the pedestrian. Peak power is an unremarkable 120kW/5300rpm but maximum thrust of 230Nm of torque arrives at just 2500 revs, giving this C class six cylinder levels of zoosh. From rest to 100 kays is achieved in a bit less than 11 seconds but it cruises beautifully and pins its ears back when overtaking.
TRANSMISSION: Five-speed automatic with a tip-shift manual mode. The six-speed manual will save you more than $3000.
STEERING: Road feel and accuracy are very good but improve when the car is equipped with optional 16-inch rims and wider tyres. Only 2.95 turns lock to lock, a tidy turning circle and good vision make it an easy parker.
RIDE: There's less weight over the front than in the six cylinder C class models. Copes with most local conditions but the front dampers can be unsettled on choppy roads.
HANDLING: They don't come much better or more stable. Specify the extra cost $2610 alloy wheel and tyre package to extract the best from the chassis.
FUEL: Premium please and very economical. Around 8 litres/100km in the country; 11.5 litres in the city.
BRAKES: Four-wheel discs with anti lock control and Brake Assist, which applies maximum force in panic situations.
BUILD: Some surprising electrical snafus with the test car. Dash displayed a variety of malfunction warnings. Another C class had intermittent faulty remote locking. Both glitches may be isolated but spoil an otherwise excellent package.
WARRANTY: Three years/ unlimited kilometres.
ANTI-THEFT: Remote central locking and immobiliser. On the options list at a peripheral warning system ($900) and an anti-towing/monitoring package ($556).
AUDIO SYSTEM: No CD stacker but the single slot head unit and seven-speaker installation provide good quality audio. Premium Bose sound system is an extra $1800. A six-stack CD changer is $1340. Are we getting a message here?
COST: The price of $62,900 for the Classic automatic is very appealing. So, too, the harder to get $59,800 six speed manual version. But you'll need the alloy wheel and tyre package, a splash of leather and maybe a CD stacker. Suddenly it's $70K. Even so, they're walking out the door.
VERDICT: The badge appeal is obvious but unlike previous C class "budget" models the Kompressor performs like a real Benz. The options list is difficult to avoid but the basic package is fair value for this much engineering integrity. An excellent car that should age gracefully and lose value slowly.