Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2021 Review

While there has not been confirmation out of Australia, the suspicion is that the 2021 Mercedes-Benz C 200 sedan will march upwards from its current $66,900 (plus on-road costs) price position when it arrives here as the most affordable version of the all-new C-Class range towards the end of the year.

You’ll see why.

Based on the S-Class’ architecture, the W206 C 200 and its siblings – including the C 300 also expected at launch – can be fitted out with an extraordinary array of comfort and safety features.

There are new LED headlights, for example, and the option of a set of Digital Light headlights with 2.6 million pixels.

Even the entry-level digital instrument cluster for the driver is 10.25 inches diagonally, while there’s a 12.3-inch option as well, and an upgraded head-up display.

The vertical central multimedia screen starts at 9.5 inches, though it can be upped to 11.9 inches, and is tilted towards the driver.

Mercedes-Benz has given the screens some deep thought, and there are three display styles for the instrument cluster and three other modes to use, too.

While the MMI is a touch-screen unit and can also be controlled from the steering wheel, it’s in the voice-control that the C-Class has taken its greatest strides forward via the “Hey, Mercedes” command.

It’s all run via a central processing system that now accepts over-the-air updates, and the MBUX even has fingerprint recognition to speed up its understanding of who’s driving the car.

The focus with the new-generation 2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class was avoiding collisions in the first place – and taking more steps towards improved assisted driving – but still engineering for them just in case.

The electronic assistance systems are rampant in the C 200, and they start with the active distance assistance system (Distronic), which can automatically maintain a pre-set distance from vehicles in front, including when the car approaches stationary traffic at 100km/h.

Its active steering system keeps the C-Class in its own lane at up to 210km/h, and the lane recognition set-up uses a 360-degree camera now to help keep it centred in the lane.

The traffic sign assistance system doesn’t stop at speed limits, but also recognises overhead gantries and roadworks signs, including those that operate only in set hours or when the road is wet.

The rear-axle steering helps with the upgraded intelligent parking systems to create something people might actually use in daily life, while for wagon variants there’s also an optional trailer manoeuvring assistant.

Besides the usual array of airbags, the new C-Class also has a centre airbag in the back of the driver’s seat to prevent head clashes.

It uses Pre-Safe technology from the S-Class to create a “virtual crumple zone” around the vehicle with the optional Impulse Side system, which moves the front occupants away from danger as soon as it’s detected.

It fills the air chambers in the front-seat side bolsters to shuffle them out of the way of impending collisions.

Engine performance is a minor blemish with the new 2021 Mercedes-Benz C 200, but the chassis simply shines.

All the engines now attach to the 15kW/200Nm integrated 48-volt starter generator (ISG), which delivers boost at low engine speeds and regenerates whenever the car slows down.

The C 200’s 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged engine is strong enough, with 150kW of power from 5800-6100rpm and its 250Nm of torque is supplemented well by the ISG. The drive is to the rear, through a nine-speed automatic transmission.

This is a reasonable engine trapped in a great car, which makes it stand out for the wrong reasons.

It gets along fine, and a 7.3-second run to 100km/h and a 246km/h top end is acceptable for this class. It’s just too coarse and sounds too strained to bother with hard acceleration for its own sake.

The wheelbase is 25mm (an old-school inch) longer than the outgoing C-Class, which helps the ride quality – but so does having the entire car based on the S-Class’ Modular Rear Architecture.

It delivers a C-Class sedan that’s 65mm longer (at 4751mm) and 10mm wider (1820mm), but 9mm lower (down to 1438mm).

Besides giving it relatively cheap access to very expensive technology inside and out, this gives the C-Class a ride quality nothing else in the class can even approach.

One of the key steps is its rear-wheel steering, which turns the rear wheels by 2.5 degrees either in the same direction as the front wheels (above 60km/h) or in the opposite direction (below 60km/h).

This is all attached to a multi-link rear suspension system, which pairs up with the four-link front suspension to pull the number of steering wheel turns lock-to-lock down to 2.1, from 2.35 in the outgoing car. It works with 17-, 18- and 19-inch wheels, too.

The chassis is sublime, bordering on ethereal with its magical combination of ride, handling, silence and its ability to saturate its occupants in a feeling of zen and self-worth.

It’s a remarkable change of direction for Mercedes-Benz, and it has finally turned the C-Class away from its move towards the overt 3 Series sportiness.

It has turned it into a smaller S-Class instead – which, as one drive will attest, was the right decision.

The steering is sharp and precise, without being giggly or vociferous about what’s going on, and the brakes are strong and reliable.

It can handle beautifully right out there at the limit of adhesion, but it never gives the impression that it prefers doing it.

It does it to tell the driver it can do all of that if you want it to, so now let’s dial it down and enjoy daily reality.

The interior is stunning, and not just the screens. The quality of every fitting shows Mercedes out-Audi-ing Audi, and the semi-floating arm rests set the tone for a sumptuous design feast inside.

It’s practical, it’s comfortable and the major multimedia screen tilted towards the driver helps immensely.

The new 2021 Mercedes-Benz C 200 is a welcome throwback to the days where Benzes could easily punch out surprisingly high levels of grip and speed, but clearly delivered the richest part of their engineering in the kinds of driving people do more frequently.

Engines aside, it’s hard to imagine a single significant way in which Mercedes-Benz could have made the W206 C-Class better than it is.

I mean, they could have tightened up the number of steps needed to dim the instrument cluster lights (it’s eight right now), but that’s a product of Europeans living with external light pollution and will change in time.

Other than that, ummm…

This is a throwback; a philosophical break from chasing BMW’s dynamic appeal at one end and Audi’s interior space advantages at the other.

This is a confident Mercedes-Benz instead going its own way with its best work and challenging its rivals to top it.

It’s almost as though Mercedes-Benz has disregarded rivals altogether and taken its olde-worlde approach to just build the best car in the class that it can with the resources it has.

And the result is astonishingly impressive.

How much does the 2021 Mercedes-Benz C 200 cost?
Price: $70,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Available: Late 2021
Engine: 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 150kW/300Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel: 6.2L/100km (WLTP Combined)
CO2: 141g/km (WLTP Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

Related: New Mercedes-Benz C-Class officially unveiled
Related: All-new 2021 Mercedes-Benz C-Class leaked online
Related: Monster power confirmed for next Mercedes-AMG C 63
Related: BMW 3 Series v Mercedes-Benz C-Class 2020 Comparison
Related: Mercedes-Benz C-Class — FAQs