Interior design, quality and cabin features
The interior of the new C-Class, like the exterior, makes every effort possible to try and mimic its superlative sibling, the S-Class. The dashboard is instantly reminiscent of the luxury limo’s opulent interior. In the first look, one would be left wondering as to how this relatively basic, fast-selling sedan can afford to have a trim-level as lavish as the very best in the M-B range.
Upon closer inspection you would realize that it’s an illusion of sorts. So while visually the new C looks like the bigger S, there is a world of difference in the quality of materials used. While the bigger limousine abstains from the use of any plastic materials inside its cabin and employs only high-quality steel, leather and glass for the trim, the C-class doesn’t have any such reservations.
Take for example the A/C vents with a frosted, silvery look. In all honesty, they look smashing and work extremely well too. You wouldn’t know of the material they are made of as long as you are looking at them or even using them. Knock them with your knuckles, though, and you would realize that they are made of plastic, unlike the solid, steely bits on the S. Similar is the story of the buttons on the central console, which unlike the steel units of the S-are made of plastic, but given a metallic finish so well, it’s difficult to tell by merely looking.
The dashboard is finished in a two-tone scheme with a black top and beige lower portion divided by a classy satin silver inlay in the centre. The wooden panels, buttons and switches are ornamented generously by chrome and satin-silver inlays giving the interior a rich, opulent look.
The C-Class replaces the button-heavy traditional Mercedes centre console with an electronic, menu driven system which reduces clutter and feels more intuitive. The centre console finished in a high-gloss brown lime-wood for the diesel variant underscores a blend of old tradition with the latest in automotive tech. Another touch of tradition is the analogue clock in the middle of the centre console bearing the three pointed emblem.
The beautifully crafted, gently sloping centre console flows seamlessly into the space between the front two seats and merges into the front armrest. There is a push to open compartment below the A/C controls which contains twin cup-holders and a 12v power socket. There’s also a two-pin socket to let you charge your cell-phone directly using your everyday charger.
The first row of controls on the central panel is taken up by the buttons for the Thermotronic three-zone A/C. The new age, sci-fi AC uses a GPS signal to detect tunnels and automatically changes recirculation settings to ensure you are breathing the freshest air. The second row comprises quick controls for media, navigation, radio and telephone, along with a quick access button to vehicle settings. These controls sit right below the slot to insert a DVD disc.
Infotainment is taken care of by a 7 inch freestanding screen featuring COMAND control system. You can navigate through various menus using the rotary dial and other toggle switches between the front seats. The menus are intuitive, and don’t take much time getting used to. The animation on the screen representing various functions is also top of the line, and adds to the luxury experience. The hi-resolution graphics, however, sometimes become a tad too heavy for the electronic brain and freeze momentarily.
Another great addition to the input systems is the innovative touchpad in the handrest over the controller knob. The touch unit can be used for many operations on the central screen, for example to input an address for the sat-nav, or to find a contact in the phone book. You can draw letters, numbers and special characters with your fingers on the pad in any language. The user also receives clear haptic feedback when operating the touchpad’s control surface. While the feature looks great and is a welcome addition, we have seen and used similar systems on rival cars which identify characters better and work even more intuitively.
In addition to the input controls for the infotainment system, the control unit between the front seats also comprises an Agility control toggle (more on this later), a button to turn auto start/stop on or off, volume control, control for the rear blinds and a button to turn parking sensors on or off.
Moving on to the instrument console, there is a hi-resolution screen sitting amid the analogue speedo-tacho pair. The screen offers wide ranging information from vehicle settings, telephony, tyre-pressure to the playlist – more details in the images below
These just are just few of the screens from the central instrument display. Head over to the gallery for all the settings
Space inside, thanks to the increased wheelbase has increased significantly and the cabin comes across as a much airier and open place to be. There’s a sunroof too, though the C-Class misses out on the panoramic type.
In addition to the extended acreage, the car also has plenty of small spaces to store stuff. The centre console has a pair of cup-holders at the bottom. Door panels can store a big water bottle and more, there is a sun-shades holder above the front windscreen and the space inside the glove box isn’t too bad either. What really helps a lot is the space underneath the front arm-rests, which really can accommodate a whole bunch of small items. The cavity is also home to twin USB slots.
At the back, the rear passengers get a central armrest with twin cup-holders, front seat mounted pockets and big bottle holders in the rear door panels. Rear seats can be split folded in a 40:20:40 ratio. The rear arm-rest comes equipped with a pop-open lid to reveal a flat, wide space capable of storing small articles such as wallets and cellphones. Boot space at 480 liters is larger than the previous version, too.
Front seats are extremely comfortable and supportive, with powered adjustments, lumbar support and three-slot memory function for both front occupants. Mercedes prefers calling the styling of the front seats as ‘Cobra Look’. Our test car also came equipped with extended thigh support, a feature hitherto seen only on cars from a couple of notches above.
So while the seats up front are almost as good as it gets, the same cannot be the said about the back bench. While we don’t have any issues with the head, knee and shoulder room for the C’s rear seats especially for a car in this class, we really believe it could have done with a bit more thigh support.
The transmission tunnel at the rear is quite pronounced and does affect the legroom available to the central passenger. Rear occupants also get their own A/C vents in hi-quality frosted silver finish as the front vents. The panel also gets controls for temperature and flow control along with a 12V socket. The rear bench also gets blinds on all three corners.
The classy, three spoke steering wheel gets satin silver and chrome inlays along with controls for the infotainment system. The car also comes equipped with steering mounted gearshift pedals as standard. The driver can choose from as many as five drive modes to tune the character of the car as per his convenience.
Ambient lighting, as a mini-me version of the bigger S-class offers 3 light colours as opposed to the bigger car’s 7 shades. Front door sill panels on the diesel variant come adorned with ‘Mercedes-Benz’ lettering that glows in dark. Seats are upholstered in ARTICO man-made leather.
The diesel version gets Adaptive Highbeam and Headlamp Assist Plus, which, with its anti-dazzle function responds to the traffic and automatically adjusts the headlamp range and intensity. Mercedes claims that with this technology you no longer have to go off the main beam.
The Mercedes-Benz key can be used in two ways to turn the ignition on or off. You can either insert the key-fob into its slot, and give it a twist to bring the engine to life, or cover the slot with a snap-on start-stop button to make it work like a push button start/stop system. The car also gets a reversing camera which in our test car was complemented by a few more to give us an all-round view of the car.
The C-Class comes equipped with a sat-nav too and we were pleasantly surprised to see some really small restaurants and other points of interests listed clearly on the display.
Audio and video playback is possible from various sources including Bluetooth, iPods, iPhones, SD cards, USB sticks or via CD/DVD. Our test car came equipped with an optional hi-performance Burmester surround sound system. For some reason, we did not find the output as supremely crisp as we have come to expect from the high-end (and expensive) brand.
Safety and security features are top of the line with as many as 7 airbags including pelvis bags for both front occupants and a knee bag for the driver. The front passenger seat can now automatically detect the deployment of a child seat and deactivates the front passenger airbag. The rich list of safety and assistance features includes, but is not limited to ATTENTION ASSIST, PRE-SAFE, Hill hold control and many more.
The cabin of the new C-class has truly set a new standard in its segment. The new cabin with the fantastic looking and equally functional, fresh layout and great quality for the class will be a tough act to follow for the rivals. As things stand, the C-class’ is the best cabin in its segment, and by some margin.
Next page for engine, performance and handling>>>