A ‘Baby Benz’ no more, the new W206 C-Class is a properly mature executive saloon. James takes a look at the entry-point C200 to see if this is all the ‘C you really need.
- Tremendous level of well-integrated technology
- Looks sharp with the standard AMG-Line kit
- Comfortable and easy to live with in its traditional urban executive role
- Brake feel when switching between hybrid regen and traditional stoppers takes a bit of getting used to
- Rear suspension can be fussy over sharper edges
- Cannot option extra driver assistance tech – need to step to C300
Introduction
Like a child actor, growing up before our eyes on a long-running sitcom, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class is no longer the simple, ‘baby Benz’ we once knew.
The fresh-faced simplicity of Bruno Sacco’s W201 190E has matured into a far more complete and accomplished car. The all-new W206 C-Class is now bigger than the original W124 E-Class, and it isn’t even the starting point for the Mercedes-Benz ownership lineup.
The Compact-Class has become the Corporate-Class, flush with luxury and technology for a new generation of buyer. And while the price has grown with the car’s size and stature, the C-Class still needs to compete in that mid-size executive market, so it still needs to feel relevant among the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4s of this world.
We take a look at the $78,900 (before options and on-road costs) 2022 Mercedes-Benz C200 to see if there’s enough substance behind the sticker to put the C-Class on your shopping list.
| Key details | 2022 Mercedes-Benz C200 |
| Price (MSRP) | $78,900 |
| Colour of test car | Selenite Grey |
| Options | Vision Package (sunroof, head up, memory seats) – $3153 Sport Package (19″ wheels, tinted rear windows) – $1307 Anthracite wood trim – $538 Bermester 3D Sound System – $1615 Metallic Paint – $1230 |
| Price as tested | $86,744 |
| Rivals | BMW 3 Series | Audi A4 |
Style and Design
The AMG-Line kit (with 18-inch wheels) is a standard feature on the C200, although the new ‘Edition C’ option swaps this for the more subtle Avantgarde styling package for no additional cost, which makes the C200 look a lot more sporty than it is. Frankly, this is what everyone seems to want, so it makes far more sense to have this as part of the base configuration.
Our test car is Selenite Grey (one of ten choices) which looks smart, if not a little conservative.
The new C-Class is a very smart-looking machine, and another example of where you’re not sure ‘which Mercedes is it’ when you see it from a distance. A highlight is the AMG grille which is made up of tiny three-point stars.
Bigger than the previous generation C-Class, the W206 is actually bigger than the W124 E-Class and has a longer wheelbase (and is wider) than a W210 E-Class.
Inside
If you want to see where the extra spend goes on the 2022 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the cabin is a great place to start.
The modern design blends well with the array of technology implemented around you. From subtle LED lighting within the air vents to flowing dashboard panels, and of course the pair of screens (11.9-inch for the central infotainment and 12.3-inch for the instrument cluster), there is no question that this is the ‘new’ C-Class.
It looks slick and upmarket, and in true Mercedes-Benz fashion, is very much a scaled-down version of what you’ll find in the larger and even more expensive (from $244,700) W223 S-Class.
You sit low, but comfortably, although taller drivers (or just those with bigger feet) may find the driver’s footwell a little awkward at first, with the left of the firewall intruding slightly where your foot wants to naturally rest.
Storage is good, with a slick hideaway cover offering a deeper cavity than on the previous W205 generation, allowing your phone (on a charging pad) to sit out of distracting view while still allowing the cover to be closed. There’s a pair of USB ports and even more storage in the central armrest.
Rear passenger space isn’t bad either, with the new car seeing an additional 25mm between the wheels, and 105mm extra overall length (over the W205), which affords a little more knee and legroom for those in the back.
The twin sunroof panels (part of the Vision Package) offer a scallop in the roofline which again translates into a bit more headroom.
While there is an armrest with cup holders and a bit of a janky phone holder, there are no rear USB ports (they can be added as an option) which we feel is a bit of an oversight.
The boot is the same volume as the previous car (455L), but the 60:40 split seats can be folded with slick remote releases on the side of the cargo area lining.
Overall fit and finish is good, although some of the touch surfaces, like the seat controls, feel a little light and ‘flexy’ as you press them, as they are now touch-sensitive panels rather than individual buttons.
| 2022 Mercedes Benz C200 | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 455L |
| Length | 4755mm |
| Width | 1820mm |
| Height | 1450mm |
| Wheelbase | 2865mm |
Infotainment and Connectivity
Again, the MBUX infotainment system continues to impress, with the newest version presented in the C200 offering an iPad Pro-sized experience for the driver and front passenger.
The ‘Hey Mercedes’ voice assistant has improved, and can now control more functions of the car, but it still isn’t perfect. Requests work most of the time, but it still seems that the Australian twang isn’t quite as easy to program around as we’d like it to be. We’re not suggesting that saying ‘Hey Mercedes, call Sarah Connor’ will accidentally summon a time-traveling robot assassin from the future, but you might be leaving a voice mail for ‘Sasha Collins’ instead.
You don’t need to talk to the car though, as you can interact with the screen by touch or by using the thumb-swipe controls on the steering wheel.
There’s so much depth to the system, with a very high level of considered user design, that it basically leaves every other automotive infotainment system in the dust.
There is support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as integrated DAB+ radio, augmented street sign navigation (as part of the Vision Package) and even a cool (but a bit pointless) live feedback demonstration of what the car is doing, in terms of suspension compression, throttle input and even the current angle of incline.
While it could be argued the system is massively complex, it isn’t hard to use, even while on the move. The bigger downside is the huge amount of smudgy finger marks you get on the giant glass panel. Pro-tip, keep a glass cleaning cloth in your door pocket.
The system links to the Mercedes Me telemetry app too, so you can send information to the car remotely, either to help with navigation or just to close the sunroof (or lock and unlock it if you have your phone and not your keys).
This can store your user preferences too, and you can log into the car using a fingerprint so that each driver can have their seat position and cabin set up immediately configured as soon as they activate their profile.
Safety & Technology
The new C-Class is yet to be tested by ANCAP or EuroNCAP at the time of writing.
The car includes ten airbags, including a front-center bag, and a basic suite of driver assistance aids like a 360-degree camera, adaptive LED high-beam headlamps, adaptive cruise control and a lane departure warning system.
It doesn’t have the more advanced blind spot intervention or lane-keeping systems that you’ll find on the C300, nor is there an option to add them in. I’ll be honest, you don’t really need the additional kit, but it would be nice to be able to tick the box if the extra driving aids are something you feel you would use.
| 2022 Mercedes-Benz C200 | |
| ANCAP rating | Not yet tested |
Value for Money
So yes, the new C200 is more expensive than the old C200.
It’s $12,000 more expensive if you look at the entry prices ($78,900 against $66,900), but the AMG-Line pack is now standard ($2846), most of the features in the old $1769 COMAND package are now included with MBUX and the same goes for the $692 seat comfort package and $308 wireless charging package.
Bottom line, it’s not an apples-to-apples comparison and while the car is undeniably more expensive, it’s undeniably more car.
Servicing is marginally cheaper than the old car too, at $2650 for three years ($2750 for the W205) and $5200 for five years ($5450 for the W205).
| At a glance | 2022 Mercedes-Benz C200 |
| Warranty | Five years / unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 25,000km |
| Servicing costs | $2750 (3 years), $5200 (5 years) |
For buyers looking for the brand entry point that the 190E and early C-Class generations represented, there is (for now at least) the A-Class sedan (from $51,589) or CLA-range (from $67,189).
It’s worth noting too that in 1990, a 190E 2.0-litre automatic (like the one pictured) cost $86,796 against a median house price of $119,000. Today’s $78,900 C200 parks in the driveway of a median house price of $805,232. Something’s out of alignment there, and it’s not the Mercedes.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 6.9L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 7.7L/100km |
| Fuel type | 95RON Unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 66L |
Driving
Under the long bonnet of the new C200 is a comparatively small 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid starter-generator connected between the motor and gearbox.
This delivers a reasonable 150kW at 6100rpm and 300Nm between 1800 and 4000rpm.
It’s that low-end torque you notice the most, with the C200 able to smoothly get up to speed in both urban and touring environments, albeit not in a particularly hurried way.
Typical of the C-Class though, regardless of engine, once you’re up to pace it will hold speed well and it tours just as happily as it commutes.
The excellent nine-speed automatic is typically ‘invisible’ to normal driving, as its ‘normal’ driving where the C200 is best suited.
Don’t go in expecting a rocket ship, and you won’t feel like pushing the little four-cylinder around the rev range. You can change up to Sport or Sport+ drive modes, but there’s no real point unless you find yourself on a particularly deserted stretch of country road.
This car is a mature and easy choice, and its best enjoyed when driven that way. Smooth, quiet, comfortable, and easy – just the way it should be.
Fuel consumption is claimed at 6.9L/100km, and we saw a little bit higher due to a more urban-centric driving loop.
The mild-hybrid system doesn’t do a huge amount to lessen daily fuel use but instead allows the car to transition more smoothly from ‘off’ to ‘on’ when in stop-start traffic.
We will say that the system takes a bit of getting used to under brakes, where the initial pedal feel changes as you switch from a friction regeneration mode (to charge the EQ capacitance battery) to actual braking. It’s more noticeable at slow speeds, and just feels a bit ‘funny’ with the car still braking predictably, but the pedal itself translates a definite difference through the type of braking force.
Ride comfort is good, although we noted that while the car would compress well at the front, over sharper surface changes, the rear suspension would occasionally feel fussy as the car sorted itself out again.
But these are minor quibbles, with our time in the C200 leaving a positive, if not slightly muted, feeling for the car.
Bottom line, it’s not the most exciting Mercedes-Benz out there, but it’s not trying to be.
| Key details | 2022 Mercedes-Benz C200 |
| Engine | 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol with 48-volt mild-hybrid |
| Power | 150kW @ 6100rpm |
| Torque | 300Nm @ 1800-4000rpm |
| Drive type | Rear-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Nine-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power to weight ratio | 87.1kW/t |
| Weight | 1722kg (tare) |
| Tow rating | 1800kg braked |
| Turning circle | 11.1m |
Conclusion
The 2022 Mercedes-Benz C200 is as much a step forward for the C-Class, as it is for the compact executive category.
You get the most car you’ve ever had with the W206, as Mercedes-Benz pushes forward with an even more up-market skew to their product line.
It looks great, and the technology implementation is excellent. And, dare I say, the small four-cylinder engine is perfectly adequate to provide a pleasant driving experience.
We’d recommend you add the Vision Package to your C200, due to the extra goodies that it provides, but don’t feel you need to make the $12,000-odd leap to the $90,400 C300 unless more power is top of your shopping list.
The C-Class has matured into a far more complete prestige experience. The pricing may push one or two buyers down to the CLA or A-Class options, but in terms of carrying the C-Class badge forward, the new car is an impressive generational change over what was already an excellent car.
It may not be the baby anymore, but a more grown-up C-Class, even in C200 guise, is a car we can’t wait to see evolve into more specialized and exciting variants. It’s perhaps a chance for the C to shine as a ‘proper’ Mercedes-Benz, because, as the classics have taught us, no one puts Baby in a corner.
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