Estate’s were once the go to pony for great outdoor adventures and while the mantle may have shifted across to SUV’s, there’s still room at the table for those who know that Estate’s have a cool factor that few SUVs can match.
Special mention : The cabin is so well designed, cosseting, relaxing and refined. You don’t notice the mild hybrid technology working away. The extra space over the saloon is worth paying for. AMG trim expensive but looks great. Diesel engine is quiet and refined.
Needs work : Touch screen is good but the options could be easier to find within the menus. Lane Assist is hidden within menus and has to be switched off at the start of every journey.
| BHP 200 | Diesel / Mild Hybrid / Auto |
| 0-100 km/h in 7.4 seconds | Road Tax €200 |
Price: €63,965.00 As Spec’d €70,776.00 | Boot space 490 / 1,510 litres |
Every C-Class Estate is now electrified, they all have one form or another of electrical assistance in the engine bay. Private buyers and business users who drive around 10,000 kms a year will love the petrol 180 and 200 models. Their mild-hybrid hardware stores small amounts of electricity as the car slows down, which is then used to provide a small but powerful boost under acceleration.
Higher mileage drivers are going to want to look at the C 220 d and C 300 d 2.0-litre diesels. As well as being punchy and refined, there’s around 1000 kms between fill ups at the pump. The mild-hybrid system regenerates energy during short periods, all the while recouping any lost energy where possible.
The competition comes in the form of the BMW 3 Series Touring, which has just seen its new sport M3 Touring launched. The C-Class Estate however, focuses on relaxation and comfort. There’s a natural, direct feel to the steering which, when you choose Sport mode, the estate stays almost flat while cornering. In Germany, France and most of Europe, there’s an option of rear-wheel steering for increased agility but this may prove too expensive once taxes are added, for the Irish market.
The majority of C-Class owners agree that the interior is class-leading. The sheer quality of materials and textures is what makes the interior such a pleasant environment. Not only are the seats comfortable, they offer plenty of adjustment too. At night the ambient lighting gives the C-Class a comforting ambience and Mercedes column-mounted gear selector stalk opens up space on the centre console which could have been used for physical air con dials etc but hasn’t.
The interior is immediately recognisable to Mercedes fans. It’s an incredibly modern cabin and comes with the brand’s latest MBUX software. As always with a Mercedes, the luxury is class-leading, and not far from that of an S-Class. There’s a 12.3-inch instrument display and optional 11.9-inch portrait central touchscreen. The screens are sharp and responsive, but they’ve removed the physical buttons found in older models. If you’d prefer not to interact with touchscreens, say ‘Hey Mercedes’ and the system responds to spoken commands. Merc’s system is significantly more user friendly than many of the systems out there where you immediately resort to Apple Car play. Besides touch and voice, you can also operate the systems via touchpads on the steering wheel.
The dashboard of the C-Class has fewer buttons as the touch screen takes care of most of the main jobs but at least the touch-sensitive controls for the air-con are permanently displayed rather than hidden away. There are also controls on the steering wheel but these can be a little fiddly. The voice commands can be useful for heating, radio and navigation or phone contact commands. So there are a number of ways you can interact with the car.
There’s wireless phone charging and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connections, and some USB-C ports. In the centre console, there’s a large storage area for the cupholders, a storage tray and the wireless phone charger. There’s extra cubby space under the armrest as well as more USB C ports. All models get LED headlights, heated leather seats, blind-spot monitoring and rear-view camera. AMG Line gets bigger wheels, re-designed bumpers and side-skirts, with some premium options offer ‘‘Digital Light’ headlights, 360-degree cameras, memory seats and the excellent augmented-reality sat-nav. Further options include Burmester stereo, head-up display, ‘Thermotronic’ climate control and pano sunroof.
The interior space hasn’t increased massively, there’s 490-litres of space in the boot increasing to 1,510 litres with the seats flat. It’s a good space to load awkward objects and has handy switches to fold down the rear seats. There are some shopping bag hooks and a 12-volt socket in the boot. The load bay has little or no lip making it easy to slide in heavy objects and the electric tailgate works smoothly. The rear seats don’t slide forward/backward but they do split-fold and they fold almost entirely flat. There’s a safety net which extends over the luggage cover, useful when carrying pets. There’s more storage space under the floor where the spare wheel used to be and hooks that hold the floor upright.
As with most hybrids, the battery pack takes up some boot space. Hybrids are left with 360 litres of room behind the seats (a 45-litre increase), increasing to 1,375 litres with them folded down.
As it’s the sixth-generation C Class, there’s only really a subtle makeover, this brings it into line with the E-Class and S-Class. The LED headlights and wide grille have an imposing stare. Yet the sides are smooth and elegant with few determining lines. The Estate’s rear lights are wide and leave room for the spacious tailgate opening.
Comfort mode deals with bumps and potholes better than a Tesla Model 3, even with the slightly floating sensation, it feels quite elegant. Sport mode tightens things up and Sport+ is nice and firm for those favourite B-roads as long as they have smooth surfaces. Overall it’s a refined motorway companion at a cruise, with little engine, road noise or much else interfering with cabin serenity. A nine-speed automatic gearbox is standard across the range, and is super smooth as you would expect from Mercedes. Where it does hesitate is when setting off from a stop/start situation. This can be managed through the menus by turning off stop/start but unfortunately must be switched at the start of every journey.
If you option the AMG Line, you get full electric adjustment with memory settings for the seats. Lumbar adjustment is standard and all models have plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel.
The improved practicality over the saloon really makes it shine. There’s plenty of technology, desirability and comfort in an all round package that’s handsome especially in AMG line trim. The touch screen works well but can take a little time to get used to where everything is. Overall it’s a capable and handsome looking car with a cabin you want to spend plenty of time in.