Mercedes-Benz C 250d Review – Beauty Gets Mighty

I’m sure many will agree that Mercedes-Benz has been quite successful in transforming its image that it held a few years back. Exciting products, with more youthful charm have attracted a new set of customers to the brand. In terms of performance and fun too, they are right up there. Similar to the last year, this year too began with a bang for the company and they continue to introduce new products and variants into the Indian market, thereby spoiling their customers for choice. Mercedes-Benz had launched the more powerful diesel variant of the C-Class last month, which is the C 250d. While the C220d provided for a complete package, the Mercedes-Benz C 250d goes further ahead in offering extra performance for the aficionados. We explore this sedan to find out how much of an extra muscle this one has.

Mercedes-Benz C 250d Exterior

The C250d looks identical to the C 220d and one can differentiate only by the badge. The new C-Class which is designed on the lines of the S-Class, is dipped in elegance and style. Smooth flowing lines  all over, the C 250d looks magnificent. The projector headlamps with embedded LEDs running atop are very stylish. The front grille of the C 250d has two horizontal slats with a large three pointed star in the centre, making it look bold enough too.

From the from to the back the car has an even flow. The roof is black in colour and in a white coloured car, it looks majestic. The rear portion also reminds you of the S-Class and so do the taillamps which are identical. Overall, this baby S-Class has a amazing appeal. The car comes with twin-five-spoke, 17-inch alloy wheels as standard.

Mercedes-Benz C 250d Interior

The interiors once again will give you feel of familiar territory if you have been in an S-Class. Just imagine that kind of an interior in a much smaller sedan! Also it looks like generations apart from the earlier C-Class. The steering wheel, instrument cluster which is extremely easy to read and the seven-inch multimedia screen are right up there. The round AC vents with flow control knob in the centre are perfect.

Then there is a touchpad located on the floor console with  Mercedes-Benz’s COMAND system. The car also has ambient lighting with different colour options. A large panoramic sunroof make the compact interior feel airy. There is great storage space present too. All door pads can house a one-litre water bottle, with enough space to store other things as well. There is an automatic blind at the rear and all windows have a manual blind too.

Mercedes-Benz C 250d Features and Safety

The C 250d comes with all features as on the C-Class variants. It features the Comand system with a touchpad, that makes very easy to use, the navigation in particular. Powered seats, paddle shifts, reverse camera, rear AC, different drive modes are some of the key features.

The front seats have and extendable under thigh support that goes a long way in adding comfort on long drives. In terms of  safety, just like the other C-Class it gets seven airbags, ABS with EBD, ASR, hill start assist, etc. It also has intelligent LED headlamps which when turning and cornering, automatically adjusts the low-beam headlamps to suit the light and driving conditions.

Mercedes-Benz C 250d Engine

This area is where the C 250d stands apart from its other siblings. The engine here is the same 2.1-litre, four cylinder unit as on the 220d, but its gets a bump in power and torque which are now 205bhp and 500Nm, respectively. A bump in 30bhp and 100Nm of torque does add quite a muscle to this car and what assists in making it further responsive is the new nine-speed 9G-tronic gearbox. The C 250d is responsive right from the start and hardly has any lag. The engine offers a very strong mid-range performance. There are four driving modes which are Eco, Comfort, Sport and Sport+. The Eco mode optimists fuel consumption between 60 and 160km/h while the Sport+ mode provides that additional rush for which you would actually be buying this car. The C 250d is quick. It manages 0-100km/h in under 8 seconds and has a top speed of 247km/h. The car has seamless delivery of power and is a lot of fun to drive.

Mercedes-Benz C 250d Ride and Handling:

Where the C 250d differs from competition is that along with offering a lot of power, it is also a very comfortable car to drive. It is quiet, has a plush ride and all that is bundled in a lot of style. The Steering response is very good and at the same time it is easy to maneuver the car in the city and tight parking spots too. The ride quality is phenomenal and this is an area where Mercedes-Benz trumps its competition.

Also Read: Mercedes-Benz C-Class Review

Mercedes-Benz C 250d Price

The Mercedes-Benz C 250d is priced at INR 54.5 lakhs (on-road, Mumbai). It is around INR 6 lakhs more than the C 220d.

Verdict

The C 250d is primarily for the owners who drives themselves. A chauffeur-driven one could settle for the less powerful C 220d too. The C-Class anyways has been designed more for the driver, though the new C-Class offers additional space at the rear with a stretched wheelbase, its the driver who’ll be the happiest in this car. The C 250d has seamless power delivery and the  new 9Gtronic gearbox enhances the fun factor further. Is it worth the extra money? Well, if you are looking at buying a car in this segment, that you will drive yourself most of times, this is the one you need to settle for.

Mercedes-Benz C 250d Specifications:

Length (mm): 4,686

Width (mm): 1,810

Height (mm): 1,442

Wheelbase (mm): 2,840

Kerb weight (kg): 1,650

Boot capacity (litres): 480

Engine : 2143cc, in-line four cylinder, diesel

Power: 205bhp@ 3800rpm

Torque: 500Nm @ 1600-1800rpm

Transmission: 9Gtronic, nine-speed