Middle- o Mischief

FUN FACT GOOD BAD

Last year, we drove the all- new CClass and thought that MercedesBenz had done a commendable job of combining luxury and relative affordability. Then we drove the C 63AMG— the compact hotrod that rushed our adrenalin like few others. But both these cars have driving dynamics that are worlds apart, and they serve either only the civilised citizen or the “hooligan”. But what about the middle- of- the- road people wanting a bit of both?

To answer that question, we test the nearDh300,000 Mercedes- Benz C 450 AMG 4MATIC, a car that Mercedes thinks has the goods to satisfy most, if not all.

DESIGN & AESTHETICS

But first, a history lesson. The genesis of Mercedes’ much- loved compact sedan — the CClass — dates back to 1992. It came on as the replacement for the 190, and has become such an integral part of our roads that we wouldn’t be surprised if some of you readers owned one.

The current generation W205 model has been around for a few years and we are quite familiar with its miniaturised flagship S- Class appearance, set apart by only its dimensions — 4,702mm long, 2,020mm wide and 1,429mm tall.

What it inherits from the S- Class are those curved LED daytime runners and the stacked LED headlamps. Mind you, Merc has been adopting this look across the range, thus becoming more like Audi. Instead of the twoblade grille you get in the regular C- Class, the C 450 is endowed with the innovative diamond grille, adorned with chrome nibs, as Indistinguishable from siblings; smallish rear cabin; stiff ride; pricey seen on the A- Class. Below all that busyness is a wide- mouthed AMG- styled air- intake. On the front- side wing, there’s an AMG badge, which you can point out to your friends, if they deny this car’s AMG association. The rear lighting design is highlighted by wraparound LED lamps with fine detailing just like on the S- Class — except this has a set of two strips instead of three.

But it’s not all hunky dory… This is a handsome visual proposition that strikes a balance of sport and luxury, but the problem is it looks like everything else from the C- Class subbrand. Sure, you have quad exhaust tips borrowed from the C 63, a lip spoiler on the boot, and the new 19” wheels with black- painted bits, but there is nothing on it that says ‘ I just spent Dh300,000’.

That being said, this is still arguably the best- looking German executive sedan — the over- engineered looks of the BMW equivalent just don’t cut it and the all- new A4 is nothing but a scene on a billboard ( until we test one, that is).

Where the C- class really shines is in the interiors. In fact, entry level German luxury has never looked this good. Merc has done well, mixing ergonomics and a fashion- forward design. Interior highlights in this C450include a beefier three- spoke multi- function steering wheel wrapped in alcantara and leather, stitched together in contrasting red threading, and the very- necessary paddle shifters for sporty driving and race- inspired chequered dials on the speedometer, which has been relegated to 280km/ h from 320km/ h in the C 63. Also, instead of the AMG- specific awkwardly shaped short shifter, things have been made easier by the shifter stalk on the steering