Driving a class of its own

There is a thing or two good about reviewing a car during the night. One, you dodge the traffic and a legion of fragile litigious humans walking inches away from you and, second, you can traverse longer distances with ease. Well, that’s what we had in our mind when we were delivered the latest addition to the Mercedes’s ‘C’ family, the C250d. What can possibly go wrong, after all it’s a Mercedes.

But then, it just went on to become a night to remember;like a night in Las Vegas. From the time you are handed the keys you will see the difference. Press the unlock button and you will be looking at a car seductively inviting you like a stripper in Las Vegas. Open the door and hop in to notice the bright lights of the Vegas Strip, most dazzling at night, creating vibrancy. Credits go to the ambient lights, which comes in three shades to choose from.

You could try to parse what makes it the rolling Playboy bunny the pert back end, the pornographically rolled fenders, the hood that stretches all the way to the hori`zon but why bother? What's important is that the saloon’s enduring shadow is a blessing forMerc’s image, taking its cues from both the E-Class and the CLA. There must never be another C Class AMG, what Merc must concentrate on, is to build a car that's every bit desirable.

The sides are full of curvy creases and they converge in a compact rear with a pair of neat LED tail-lamps. The design of the17” 5-twin spoke alloy wheels looks superb too. Of course, this car is not entirely unfamiliar, with this ‘vanilla’ guise, there’s no doubt this one is a stunner. What set the C250d apart from the outgoing C220 are the 204 horses sleeping under the hood, which once woken turns the luxury sedan into Furiosa’s war rig. Floor it and you will be dragged by the sheer power.

Trust us, we were doing illegal speeds, clocking the 200kmph mark very redundantly. The new C250d is powered by a 2.1 litre 4-cylinder diesel engine and is the most powerful and fastest in the segment. The engine features an ECO start/stop function driving its efficiency, produces 150 kW at 3800 rpm with a maximum torque of 500 Nm between 1600-1800 rpm.

The engine was quite responsive at even low revs, with a strong mid-range and charges on quite effortlessly to 5000rpm should you keep the throttle pinned to the floor. What undoubtedly helps its performance is the nine-speed auto gearbox. The car is also equipped with Intelligent Light System (ILS) which automatically adjusts the headlamps based on weather, lighting and driving conditions for ideal visibility in every situation.

Variable low beam for country roads and motorways is supported with an active light function for significantly better illumination on bends. Luminosity of the brake lights varies according to the light conditions so as to avoid dazzling other road users. All these are just quite handy while you drive in the night.

While with all the adrenaline rush and daredevilry, this one makes sure you’re safe behind the wheels. In addition to the standard safety features such as ABS, BAS, ESP, ASR, JKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ… Hill Start Assist, et al, the car will make sure every bit of the drive is desirable and safe, with seatbelt pre-tensioners and patented Attention Assist systems.

By Johnson D’souza