Now we are four: The volume-chasing 1.5 and 2.0-litre editions of the W206 C-Class sedan range are first on the local scene.

 EVERYONE likes to imagine pedigree alone marks out German automotive product from cars from elsewhere, but really there are other tell-tales, one being ride quality – they do tend to like ‘em firm.

For all that, there are variations: The Mercedes C-Class always has and probably always will feel like a very different car to the BMW 3 Series or Audi A4.

With the world’s oldest car maker’s junior executive sedan, C is about precision, yes, but never to detriment of comfort. The suspension tuning isn’t outright soft, but there’s more compliance than when going with the A or B brands.

As much as the latest W206 represents a fresh start, the first drive opportunity in the new ‘range’, such as it is – for now, the line-up comprises the $86,000 C200 and the $102,900 C300, both rear-drive with nine-speed automatic – reminded some fundamentals remain core.

 Though the car’s dynamic demeanour by no means erodes brand contention of this being the generation that lends more emphasis on driver involvement, there’s also no doubt the driving impression is still one of ‘precise plushness’. Even on coarse chip, this is a sensationally quiet car.

 Still, they’re also right; the steering is sharper and the car seems more settled and easier to place accurately when pushed enthusiastically through bends.  

For this first taste, Mercedes put up a fleet of cars, one for very guest, and let us roam from Auckland to upper Northland, for an overnight stay at suitably swanky digs, before retracing the route back to the big city.

The thinnest part of the North Island doesn’t deliver a lot of choice in respect to routes; unavoidably, a lot of time was spent on State Highway. But the car also experienced some sealed secondaries and, in the approach to the accommodation, a dirt and gravel road.  

For the most part, I was responsible for a C300, which now presents with a 190kW/400Nm 2.0-litre from which optimal economy of 7.3 litres per 100km is claimed, along with a 0-100kmh time of six seconds). Experience of the C200 and its 150kW/300Nm 1.5-litre engine (6.9L/100km, 7.3 seconds) finally occurred after lunch on the second day, by which time there was just the last, purely SH1-dedicated leg from Whangarei to mid-city Auckland to tackle.

By then I’d become pretty attached to the more powerful of the two. Though provision on 19-inch wheels and tyres does make it a touch less fluent on imperfect surfaces than the 18-inch equipped C200, it was overall the more engaging of the two packages.

That’s not to suggest the C200 lacks enthusiasm for big jaunts; in easy running it’s no less smooth than the C300. Where the latter achieves an edge is in those sudden acceleration moments; it’s tangibly the more reactive in the passing lane, but also seems to be better focussed for nifty secondary route workouts.

With Mercedes no longer packaging six or eight-cylinder powerplants into this car, it is for now the car best-attuned to ‘driver’ taste. In saying that, there’s every possibility the next-to-land C350e plug-in hybrid might become an even better bet, simply because it has so much more torque still. These are early days. 

The 1.5 will gee up, but it takes a moment longer to mass the troops and evidences an aural edge in doing so, plus it also tends to drop down deeper through the nine-speed automatic’s cogs.

The standard-fit 48-volt mild hybrid system subtly makes the driving experience smoother in either setting, helps with the oomph but also proved effective in its primary aim of eking out the fuel burn. I saw sub 6 litres/100km returns from the C300 when it was settled into the 100kmh cruise. The system also means the stop-start system cuts in very quickly and without hesitation.

The cars on this run delivered with the factory’s base level of passive dampers, so the standard-fit Dynamic Select system only adjusts the steering, throttle response and stability control.

With air suspension having been discarded, the differences in dynamic dexterity will be made by the rear-wheel-steer option and, perhaps, by all-wheel-drive should it feature in a future derivative.

The cars as presently offered have good grip and balance. Ultimately these models don’t transform into overtly sporty machines when really pushed, but on the twistiest roads I could find for the C300, there wasn’t a time when it struggled to cope. It seems resolute in its safety, insofar that the traction control allows for zero slip from the rear.

If there's one area where the new Mercedes C-Class is simply outstanding, it's in the cabin.

The build quality and upmarket atmosphere is quite something; while the C300 is more plush, the C200 also really feels like a shrunken S-Class inside, thanks to the many classy touches.

If this car is your first introduction to MBUX, then it’d be prudent to take a few minutes to learn the base operability before setting off. But if you’ve been there, done that already, then there are no particularly challenges to navigating around the big portrait touchscreen and main digital instrument panel.

 Mercedes’ deciding to divest the centre-console touchpad and controller knob found in the outgoing car is a big call, all the same. One saving grace is that, while the climate controls are now located wholly on the screen, they are always on display and almost as easy to use as conventional buttons or rotary controls.

One option I’d commend, having used in it on the S-Class, is the augmented reality navigation, which displays live images from a front camera on the screen, which then overlays navigation instructions over it.

There are a couple of foibles. You could argue the starter button is unnecessarily large. Also, the second driving day was especially humid and, while the air con had no trouble keeping the cabin temp amenable, the air direction when put to the screen seemed to leave a section of condensation at the base.

I’d also say that some of the multifunction steering wheel controls are a little frustrating to use, particularly the touch-sensitive slider for the volume control.

Cabin comfort is good, and there's a wide range of adjustment from the supportive yet plush front seats to get in the right position behind the wheel.

Space in the rear is decent for two, but will be a bit of a squeeze for three. Middle-seat leg space is compromised by the car's large transmission tunnel.

In addition, there are two pairs of ISOFIX child seat mounts in the back, yet while there are rear air vents, there don’t seem to be any USB/C charging sockets.

The C200 and C300 have a 455-litre boot, which is competitive for the class. The C350e has to make do with 315 litres, thanks to the large battery located under the floor. The rear seat backs can fold to take longer items, although this can only be done via the boot, not the interior.

For a full rundown on the new model’s technical provision see:

https://www.motoringnz.com/news/2022/2/13/smart-headlights-fingerprint-security-and-a-big-screen-its-the-connected-c-class