Mercedes C-class (W204)

Debut: 2007
Maker: Mercedes-Benz
Predecessor: C-class (W203)
In 1982, Mercedes-Benz introduced its first small car, the W201 series, or more commonly known as 190E. The 190E gave us a very good alternative to BMW 3-Series, especially those asked for higher quality, solidity and comfort. Mercedes sold 1.88 million units of 190E before moving to C-class W202 in 1993 and W203 in 2000, which attracted another 1.85 million and 2 million customers respectively. W203 was especially successful for bringing in younger customers, thanks to its younger look and more dynamic chassis, not to mention the image-boosting AMG C32 and C55 models. These young customers may move to E-class and S-class in the future, so C-class is very important to Mercedes-Benz.

Nevertheless, until now the C-class has yet to beat BMW 3-Series in sales chart. One of the reasons is that Mercedes sells its coupe version in the name of CLK-class. Another reason is more people prefer the stronger driver appeal offered by the 3-Series. That is why Stuttgart decided to inject more sportiness into the new generation C-class W204. How ? firstly, it gave the new car a faster ratio steering rack to sharpen its steering response. Secondly, it added adaptive dampers to improve body control. Cheap versions employ mechanical adaptive dampers which firm up automatically under hard use, like those offered optionally in A and B-class. Higher spec versions are equipped with electronic adaptive dampers, something its rivals have yet to offer. The electronic damping provides Comfort and Sport mode for the driver to choose from. They also alter the response of throttle and automatic transmission. Thirdly, weight distribution of the chassis has been improved slightly. For instance, the basic C180K is 52.5:47.5 front to rear instead of the last generation's 53.2:46.8. Lastly but not least, to lure sportier buyers from BMW 3-Series without displeasing its traditional customers, Mercedes set the styling of the sport-biased Avantgarde model further apart from the luxury-biased Elegance model. The former gets aggressive AMG bumpers and skirts, plus a grille design previously reserved for Mercedes coupes. The Elegance continues to employ the traditional radiator grille. No wonder Mercedes called it "one car, two personalities".

The problem is, the new C-class doesn't look very Mercedes. If we mask its grille, it could be just any Japanese cars or even a Hyundai. Why ? because its slim C-pillars do not deliver a solidity feel like Mercedes used to, because the black plastic window frames are more mainstream than unique. On the positive side, the new headlamps are better looking than the previous peanut-shape ones, the clamshell bonnet more stylish, the attention to details are better and the body panels fit more tightly. Overall speaking, W204 is a neat design, if not very Mercedes.

Every C-class is larger than the last generation. W204 is no exception. It gets 55mm longer, 42mm wider and the wheelbase is stretched by 45mm, bringing the total to 2760mm. As a result, the cabin gets 40mm and 20mm extra shoulder room for front and rear passengers respectively. Sadly, rear legroom is almost unchanged, but admittedly, the old car was never short of rear legroom. Take quality into account, the cabin is a quantum leap from the last generation. While the old car was built to cost (remark: it was a victim of Jurgen Schrempp's cost cutting policy), the new cabin has a quality feel due to neat design, soft-touch materials and solid assembly. It also offers some of the luxury features from the S-class (provided you can afford), such as the COMMAND control system with voice recognition and the Pre-Safe system.

Despite of the more angular body, W204 has the same 0.27 drag coefficient as W203. The chassis boosts 13 percent higher torsional rigidity thanks to the use of more high-strength steel (some 70% of total), but the overall weight remains unchanged as it compensated by converting some parts to aluminum, such as the front cross beam, front crash boxes, front fenders and door modules. This also explain for its better weight distribution. Excluding adaptive damping, not much change is found at the suspension design, i.e., 3-link MacPheson struts up front and 5-link setup at the rear. Considering their sophisticated geometry, Mercedes found no need to change.

On the road, the new C-class handles and rides brilliantly. In particular, its handling is markedly improved from W203, being better balanced, more precise and responsive. The steering is light but satisfyingly quick and accurate. The chassis feels solid. There is plenty of grip on offer and the car resists understeer and body roll much better than before, thanks to the adaptive dampers. Its handling is a match for BMW 3-Series until the last two-tenths. Ultimately, it can't match the BMW's composure and balance at the limit. But then neither can BMW offer the same level of ride quality and refinement. On the standard suspensions with mechanical adaptive dampers, the C-class already provides a quiet and comfortable ride. With electronic dampers, the ride is even more exceptional. You can't help thinking this is a "mini S-class". Mercedes made the right decision to equip the C-class with adaptive damping, despite the extra costs.

But the engines do not live up the standard of the chassis. Mercedes' engine programs always lag behind vehicle programs. That means the new C-class uses the same engines from the last generation. New engines are not expected until its mid-life makeover. At the bottom of the range is a pair of M271 supercharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder, tuned to 156hp for C180K and 184hp for C200K. Supercharger gives them good torque, but both refinement and fuel consumption fail to match BMW's 2-liter Valvetronic or direct injection four. Climb up the range will see three V6 engines - 204hp 2.5-liter for C230, 231hp 3.0-liter for C280 and 272hp 3.5-liter for C350. How to describe them? well, competitive by world standard, but probably not enough to compete with its rival in Munich. BMW's 2.5-liter and 3.0-liter straight-6 produce 14hp and 41hp more horsepower respectively, while the twin-turbo 335i is even in a different performance league from C350. Worse still, the BMW engines drink less fuel and they have to cope with dozens of less kilograms than in the case of C-class !

The best engine in C-class is actually the 3.0-liter common-rail turbo diesel V6 serving C320CDI. Well, it is no match with BMW 335d in performance, but it is smooth and much more quieter than the BMW engine. With 224 horsepower and an astonishing 376 lbft of torque (matching a Lamborghini Gallardo) from only 1600 rpm, performance is obtained in the most effortless way. The strong torque also reduces the shifts from the 7G-Tronic transmission, which is rather busy in C350, thus boosts overall refinement. The C320CDI returns 37.6mpg fuel consumption against 29.1mpg of C350, another good reason to choose the diesel.

Three kinds of people will buy the C-class instead of 3-Series: 1) The traditional admirers of Mercedes-Benz; 2) Those who hate the ugly look and plain interior of the 3er; 3) Those prefer the superior quality, luxury and ride comfort of the C-class. While the new C-class is no ground breaker, it should be a satisfying purchase for those who can afford.
The above report was last updated on 21 Apr 2007. All Rights Reserved.
 

C63 AMG

As the new BMW M3 is no longer oriented to hardcore drivers (sadly), all our hope is put on the new Mercedes C63 AMG. Derived from the much improved chassis of W204 C-class and installed with the wonderful AMG 6.2-liter V8, can it rise to the top of sports saloon segment finally ? This is a question every car enthusiast wants to know. Before answering it, let us go through its technical specifications first...

The core of C63 is the 6208 cc DOHC 32-valve V8. It is not derived from any production engines of Mercedes-Benz, but designed and developed entirely by the AMG division. This engine has been used in various AMG models, namely E63, CLS63, CLK63, S63, ML63 and CL63. The baby C63 is the last one to call its service. Naturally, installed in the tighter engine compartment resulted in somewhat compromised exhaust routing. This mean some 57 horsepower has been lost compare with the larger E63 AMG. Still, the C63 cranks out 457 horsepower at 6800 rpm, some 37 horses more than the new M3. Moreover, its maximum torque of 443 lb-ft is a massive 148 lb-ft more than the BMW !

The tremendous torque means even a compulsory automatic gearbox could propel the car from rest to 62 mph (100 km/h) in merely 4.5 seconds. That's a decisive 0.3 seconds quicker than the M3 with manual gearbox ! Admittedly, AMG's version of the 7G-Tronic transmission is a very best one. It provides 3 modes for different driving styles. In Comfort mode, it shifts as seamless as any traditional Mercedes. In Sport mode, the gearshift takes 30 percent less time. It also actuates throttle blip automatically to match rev during downshift. In Manual mode, the shift time is 50 percent less. It obeys only the instructions from the driver, so you can rev the engine right to the 7200 rpm redline and enjoy the metallic soundtrack of the V8. With such a great automatic transmission, who still want that slightly clonky manual gearshift of M3 ?

On the road, the biggest difference between C63 and M3 lies in their power delivery - M3 is typically peaky, C63 is stronger all the time. The AMG 6.2 V8 is definitely one of the world's best performance engines, even better than BMW's V8 and V10. On the one hand it produces plenty of bottom end and mid-range torque to enable instant overtaking, on the other hand it loves to rev to 7000-plus rpm. Like any high performance engines should, its power delivery is linear across a wide band. In other words, the higher the rev, the more punch and better sound it produces. This explain why the C63 delivers real world performance and enthusiasm simultaneously.

However, don't think this AMG is all about engine. In the recent CLK63 Black, we have seen AMG taking handling really seriously. In fact, the braindrain from BMW's Motorsport division to AMG in recent years started reverting the fortune of both companies - the M3 goes civilized while the C63 goes driver-oriented. The effect of one plus and one minus means AMG is actually taking the edge now.

The C63 is based on the new generation W204 chassis, which is much sportier than any previous C-class. But that is only the beginning. AMG re-engineered the front chassis with entirely new suspension and steering geometry, basically comes from CLK63 Black. It got wider tracks (35mm front and 12mm rear) and stiffer suspension setup, although the C-class' electronic adaptive damping has been ditched. Standard 18-inch alloy wheels are shod with 235/40ZR and 255/35ZR tires front and rear, while 19-inch wheels wrapping 235/35ZR and 255/30ZR tires are optional.

Braking is a strength of C63. It employs Brembo's new steel-aluminum compound disc brakes with 360 mm disc and 6-pot calipers up front, 330mm disc with 4-pot calipers at the rear. The ESP stability control now offers 3-stage setting with different level of intervention, including fully switch off. The latter is a first for AMG. It implies AMG is confident that the fundamental chassis dynamics is good enough to handle abuse.

So, how good does it go on road ? One word: impressive. No previous AMGs (bar the CLK63 Black and DTM) had ever delivered such a driver-focused handling. This car turns into corners sharply and precisely. Its steering provides streams of information to the driver's hands, while the stiff suspensions keeps body roll to minimum and the grippy tires keep the car on rails. The brakes feel powerful and fade-free for extended use. Most impressive, its chassis is highly communicative through steering and throttle. Switch off the stability control, you will discover how well balanced the chassis is. This seems unbelievable from the static weight distribution of 54:46, but the chassis tuning makes wonder to deliver a neutral attitude. Deep into the bend, it understeers gently to stabilize the car. By applying throttle, you can finely control the car from understeer to mild oversteer. C63 proves that nothing compares to a rear-drive chassis for pure driving fun.

Then how does it compare to M3 ? The AMG now offers better steering feel than its Munich rival. Its chassis is more throttle adjustable. Both advantages let the driver feels more entertaining. Besides, it has stronger engine and braking as usual. The only disadvantage is a stiffer ride from the passive suspensions, but it is totally acceptable for car nuts. Maybe one day AMG will add adaptive damping to the car, but even before that the C63 AMG is already our new King of sports sedans. Congratulation to AMG !
The above report was last updated on 1 Sep 2007. All Rights Reserved.

C-class facelift (2011)



After nearly four years on the market, Mercedes C-class W204 gets a mid-life facelift. The most obvious changes are the reshaped headlamps and front bumper, which gives the car enough refreshment to my eyes. At the back, the taillights are smartened with LED graphics. Mercedes said the bonnet and alloy wheels have also been modified, although they are harder to spot.

However, the biggest improvement is not exterior, but the interior. Very rare for a facelift, Mercedes reworked the interior completely, giving it an all-new dashboard and steering wheel. It is far more stylish and higher quality than the old one. Following the industrial trend, navigation screen becomes an integral part of the dashboard.



Relatively few changes can be found on the mechanical side, and all of them are made for the benefit of greenness. All engines get automatic stop-start, no wonder their names get the "BlueEfficiency" moniker. The four-cylinder models used to get an outdated 5-speed automatic, now 7G-Tronic serves across the range to enhance fuel economy. A slightly reduced drag coefficient - dropped from 0.27 to 0.26 for models with narrowest tires - also help in this respect.

The C-class already got engine upgrade last year, so this time around most engines are carried over:

- C180: 1.8-liter 4-cylinder DI turbo, 136hp;
- C200: 1.8-liter 4-cylinder DI turbo, 184hp;
- C250: 1.8-liter 4-cylinder DI turbo, 204hp;
- C350: 3.5-liter V6 DI, 306hp;
- C180CDI: 2.1-liter 4-cylinder turbo diesel, 120hp;
- C200CDI: 2.1-liter 4-cylinder turbo diesel, 136hp;
- C220CDI: 2.1-liter 4-cylinder turbo diesel, 170hp;
- C250CDI: 2.1-liter 4-cylinder twin-turbo diesel, 204hp;
- C300CDI: 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel, 231hp;

The only new engine is the 60-degree DVVT petrol V6, which is being used in the new CLS. Compare with the old 90-degree VVT unit, output has been increased by 14hp (or 34hp compared with the non-CGI engine in some markets). Fuel consumption is reduced by 18 percent, not bad for a mid-life refresh.
The above report was last updated on 25 Mar 2011. All Rights Reserved.






Specifications




General remarks

C200K (2007)
C280 (2007)
C350 (2007)
Layout
Front-engined, RWD
Front-engined, RWD
Front-engined, RWD
Chassis
Steel monocoque
Steel monocoque Steel monocoque
Body
Mainly steel
Mainly steel Mainly steel
Length / width / height 4581 / 1770 / 1444 mm 4581 / 1770 / 1444 mm 4581 / 1770 / 1444 mm
Wheelbase 2760 mm 2760 mm 2760 mm
Engine
Inline-4
V6, 90-degree
V6, 90-degree
Capacity
1796 cc
2996 cc 3498 cc
Valve gears
DOHC 16 valves, VVT
DOHC 24 valves, VVT DOHC 24 valves, VVT
Induction
Supercharger
VIM
VIM
Other engine features
-
-
-
Max power
184 hp 231 hp 272 hp
Max torque
184 lbft 221 lbft 258 lbft
Transmission
6-speed manual
7-speed automatic
7-speed automatic
Suspension layout
F: 3-link strut
R: multi-link
F: 3-link strut
R: multi-link
F: 3-link strut
R: multi-link
Suspension features
Mechanical adaptive damping
Electronic adaptive damping Electronic adaptive damping
Tyres front/rear
205/55VR16
205/55WR16
225/45WR17
Kerb weight
1415 kg
1500 kg
1535 kg
Top speed
146 mph (c)
152 mph (c)
155 mph (limited)
0-60 mph (sec)
8.2 (c)
6.8 (c)
6.1 (c) / 5.8*
0-100 mph (sec)
-
-
14.8*
Performance tested by: *R&T



C320CDI (2007)
C63 AMG (2007)

Layout
Front-engined, RWD
Front-engined, RWD

Chassis
Steel monocoque
Steel monocoque
Body
Mainly steel
Mainly steel
Length / width / height 4581 / 1770 / 1444 mm 4725 / 1795 / 1438 mm
Wheelbase 2760 mm 2765 mm
Engine
V6, 90-degree, diesel
V8, 90-degree

Capacity
2987 cc
6208 cc
Valve gears
DOHC 24 valves
DOHC 32 valves, DVVT
Induction
VTG turbo
VIM

Other engine features
CDI
-

Max power
224 hp 457 hp / 6800 rpm
Max torque
376 lbft 443 lbft / 5000 rpm
Transmission
7-speed automatic 7-speed automatic

Suspension layout
F: 3-link strut
R: multi-link
F: 3-link strut
R: multi-link

Suspension features
Electronic adaptive damping -

Tyres front/rear
225/45WR17
F: 235/40ZR18
R: 255/35ZR18

Kerb weight
1625 kg
1655 kg

Top speed
155 mph (limited)
155 mph (limited)

0-60 mph (sec)
6.5 (c)
4.4* / 3.9** / 4.1***

0-100 mph (sec)
-
9.7* / 9.2** / 9.8***

Performance tested by: *Autocar, **C&D, ***MT



C250 (2011)
C350 (2011)

Layout
Front-engined, RWD
Front-engined, RWD

Chassis
Steel monocoque
Steel monocoque
Body
Mainly steel
Mainly steel
Length / width / height 4591 / 1770 / 1447 mm 4591 / 1770 / 1447 mm
Wheelbase 2760 mm 2760 mm
Engine
Inline-4
V6, 60-degree

Capacity
1796 cc
3498 cc
Valve gears
DOHC 16 valves, VVT
DOHC 24 valves, DVVT
Induction
Turbo
VIM

Other engine features
DI
DI

Max power
204 hp 306 hp
Max torque
229 lbft 273 lbft
Transmission
7-speed automatic
7-speed automatic

Suspension layout
F: 3-link strut
R: multi-link
F: 3-link strut
R: multi-link

Suspension features
Mechanical adaptive damping
Electronic adaptive damping
Tyres front/rear
205/55R16
225/45R17

Kerb weight
1430 kg
1535 kg

Top speed
149 mph (c)
155 mph (limited)

0-60 mph (sec)
6.8 (c) / 6.8* / 6.4** / 6.9***
5.7 (c) / 5.4***

0-100 mph (sec)
17.9* / 16.7** / 18.4***
13.8***

Performance tested by: *C&D, **R&T, ***MT






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