The Benz for the people

Locally built at Benz’s East London Plant since replacing the 190 25 years ago, the C-class has firmly established itself as the Mercedes-Benz for all in spite of the cheaper A-class and its CLA sedan off-shoot.

Now halfway through its lifecycle, and on the back of a R10-billion investment into plant some five months ago, the internally named W205 C-class, which has been around since 2014, has received a mid-life revision to keep it fresh until the W206 arrives within the next 18 months.

Its recent arrival then for the obligatory weeklong test period, some seven months after bowing in Europe, came with a certain amount of fanfare as the Polar White example that eventually pitched-up, turned-out to be the unofficial C-class for the masses, the entry-level C180.

Son of S-class now grown-up

While Mercedes-Benz has indicated that the W205 now comprises of 6 500 new parts, it takes more than a second glance to note these, as it looks near identical to the pre-facelift model.

Inspired to an extent by the current S-class, the changes consists of reshaped front and rear bumpers, new headlights with boomerang inspired integrated daytime running LEDs, updated taillights, a selection of new alloy wheel designs and more pronounced exhaust outlets.

Lacking any sort of styling pack with only the chrome stripe on the bootlid and detailing around the windows providing an upmarket touch, the C180 could be viewed as looking somewhat plain and a trifle too vanilla in its most back guise, although this can be seen as more representative of what a basic Benz should look like in its simplest form.

 Interior surprises but also disappoints

More opinion splitting though is the interior, which felt conservatively specced by usual Mercedes-Benz standards, but which on the flip-side represents what the majority of buyers are likely to get before turning to the options list.

Outfitted with the same steering wheel as the A-class with its touchpad buttons, our tester sported a piano-key black finish on the centre console lifted by some chrome inserts which, admittedly, become prone to leaving finger prints whenever using the rotary dial for the Comand infotainment system, or opening the lid for the storage compartment that houses the first of two USB ports, cupholders and the new smartphone charging pad.

Speaking of that Comand system, it still comes resplendent on a rather aftermarket looking freestanding display, which, although a huge improvement over the old system, still falls short of the MBUX setup used in the A-class, though you do get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Missing from our tester was the new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that is optional.

As classy as the cabin looks at this end of the spectrum, it continues to be hobbled by a mixture of good to cheap feeling materials eroding the premium feel to an extent, while the sloping roofline does impede on rear headroom slightly in spite of rear vents being a bonus.

Safety first

Counting the C180’s favour though is the list of safety and driver assistance not needing to be specified at an additional cost, namely Hill Hold Assist, Driver Alert Assist, Active Brake Assist, Adaptive High Beam Assist, Tyre Pressure Monitor, seven airbags, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, Stability Control and Traction Control.

The drivetrain saga

Where the C180 comes undone though is the drivetrain department, where it combines a 1.6-litre turbocharged petrol engine with the new 9G Tronic automatic gearbox.

While the motor’s outputs of 115kW/250Nm are respectable, it is done no favours by a ‘box that is tuned for economy, and which shifts rather enthusiastically to ninth gear making for uneven power delivery, in addition to providing a rather unpleasant shove when downshifting from second to first gear in bumper-to-bumper traffic.

Although paddle shifter are affixed to the steering wheel and a Sport mode provided thanks to the five mode (Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual) Dynamic Select system, the engine does become noticeably strained in spite of the shifts being faster, which didn’t do much for the fuel consumption that came to a best of 7.2-litres/100km after the seven-day testing period.

The mismatched drivetrain was offset somewhat by a smooth ride on the standard issue 17-inch alloy wheels that only become lumpy over the poorest of surfaces, while the steering provided satisfactory feedback which, admittedly, will not rate as the primary deal breaker afforded by the C180.

Verdict

It might well be the most accessible model in the range, yet the weeklong tenure behind the wheel of the Mercedes-Benz C180 rated as somewhat of a disappointed.

While an eye-opener and departure from the norm in getting to grips with an offering from the three-pointed star in basic form, the engine/transmission combo spoils a well devised package many are likely to scoff at, especially at the lofty pre-options price tag of R590 168.

In reality though, the majority of consumers are likely to pay little attention to the drivetrain’s foibles, as the allure of Mercedes-Benz ownership and prestige associated with the brand will resent more, even if the badge on the boot reads C180 instead of AMG.