2022 Mercedes-Benz C 180 Avantgarde
Pros
- Looks just like an S-Class
- Cabin is just like an S-Class
- Plentiful legroom and space
Cons
- Gearbox still a little jerky
- Less refinement than expected
Baby has all grown up, but some things still remain the same. The Mercedes-Benz C-Class, so long known as the 'baby Benz', can no longer fit that name since it's truly an S-Class wrought small, and the least C-Class for now, the C 180, is also most definitely going to be the one most of its customers want.
As we covered in our launch of the new 2022 C-Class in Singapore, for now the model lineup consists solely of the C 180, C 200 (in either Avantgarde or AMG Line versions), and a C 300e PHEV on the way. AMG models have yet to be shown, but we certainly expect a C 43 and C 63.
The C C 200 AMG Line was tested by ed Lionel Kong, who found it powerful and sporty-looking, but also expensive, which is where this car comes in: The C 180 in Avantgarde trim is a huge $49,000 less than that car. Could there be an even cheaper one, like the previous C 160? We answer that toward the end.
Ju-Len walks you through the new C-Class at its launch in Singapore.
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Driving experience: Not an A-grade, but not a C either
The new C-Class is much larger than before, and looks like what happens if you 3D print an S-Class at 75 per cent. As a result, it does look elegant and properly Mercedes-like thanks to the flowing proportions — you can't say the same about an A-Class sedan, for instance.
The AMG Line kit certainly adds more excitement, visually, but the Avantgarde model doesn't exactly wallow in sloth in comparison, but at a $8,000 premium, we'd stick with the Avantgarde and spend the extra in more important areas we'll cover further down.
The mild-hybrid drivetrain is identical to the C 200's, both packing a 1.5-litre inline four-cylinder turbo engine and 20hp/200Nm electric motor assistance - the difference being the C 180 has 170hp and the C 200 packs 204hp.
That 34hp/50Nm difference is certainly noticeable even in Singapore, but all things considered, it's Singapore and that sort of power difference isn't really worth the extra money unless you happen on a good deal for the C 200, or just want to show up the (undoubtedly more numerous) C 180 drivers. In any case, 170hp in and unto itself is plenty for here, and even the North South Highway now that that's allowed.
The inline four sounds decent, but it's not particularly sporty nor distinguished — this is obviously an engine designed to help Mercedes meet fleet CO2 and EU6 requirements and beyond. A high point is just how seamless the start-stop system is now, since you won't actually feel a thing, it does encourage you to leave it on even in Singapore.
Behave yourself, and use Efficiency mode, and the mild hybrid C 180 will deliver a very decent 6.0L/100km-ish on the highway here, and around 8.0L/100km with mixed urban/highway runs.
Where the Merc disappoints is refinement: During regular driving there's some tyre noise at speed, the ride quality is a little busy, there's a hint of pitching fast corners, and the nine-speed gearbox is again clunky around the first three gears. The latter we can put down to our test car having less than 1,000km on the clock, but we observed exact same behaviour in the first iteration of the W213 E-Class in 2016, and it was seemingly solved with the C-Class W 205 facelift in 2018.
In the C 180's defence, if you decide you want to drive fast the car is surprising. It rises up to the challenge and doesn't dissolve into wallow and understeer, and is actually quite fun to flog, though we know the vast majority of C 180 owners won't go there.
Interior, features, and practicality: The right kind of drama
If it doesn't sound good for the C-Class, this is where our whining finally stops, because where most C 180 owners will go, very often, is a happy place and that is the car's cabin. The C-Class-to-S-Class metaphor runs most strongly here: Both have grand, dramatic sweeps, futuristic-looking lighting you won't find in rivals, and huge screens galore.
The 11.9-inch central infotainment unit is standard-fit on the S-Class in overseas markets (our S-Classes get a 12.8-inch unit), as is the 12.3-inch driver's display. We've gone into detail about Merc's approach to digitalisation in previous reviews but the same things hold true here.
The central display is low-mounted, which makes for some ergonomic hassle while prodding it, and the touch-button approach is imprecise. But otherwise it's a full-featured system that can run with the best of them, and the overall effect when you look at the cabin of the C 180 — especially at night — is a sort of luxurious, dramatic one that Audi and BMW have no direct answer for in the executive sedan segment.
In space and practicality, the C-Class is now the largest car in its class and also with the longest wheelbase, so legroom is generous, and headroom decent for a nicely-styled sedan. The car hasn't grown much wider, so three adults is not quite comfortable in the rear. 450-litres of boot space is decent though not class-leading, but there's an auto-tailgate and remote button release for folding the seats down for 1,510-litres of space.
Pricing and competition: Where to spend your C-bills
As mentioned earlier, we'd take the C 180 over the C 200, and the Avantgarde over the AMG Line. The AMG Line model gives you the AMG styling kit exterior, sport seats, metal weave interior trim, and sport steering wheel.
We'd spend that money on active safety. The C 180 comes with blind spot monitoring and FCA, but nothing else — just $6,720 buys you adaptive cruise control with steering assist, lane keeping assist, braking assist, evasive steering assist and more.
This C-Class being the largest ever, we'd also want a 360-degree camera — the standard is reverse camera only — though that's tied into the $9,100 Premium package which adds on navigation and AR driving cues/visual assistance in the infotainment screen.
But to talk about size, that also shows just how the Baby Benz's position has changed: The A-Class Saloon is now My First Mercedes sedan, and the C-Class has graduated to My First RWD/Properly Large Merc.
The eternal rival, the BMW 3 Series, offers a more robust technology experience — iDrive/BMW OS 7 is just easier to use, the BMW Connect suite and app, and BMW's voice assistant is better. The 318i is a match on price, drives better, and is about equal in refinement terms. Ironically that make the underdog Audi A4 the most comfy car in the class, and it's also the most efficient that we've tested, and still well worth a look.
Conclusion
For the inevitable Singaporean question and those who want more car even less power, an even less expensive COE Category A C 160 (unlike the previous gen model) has not been mentioned yet — that car would cost a very palatable $230k to $240k at current COE levels.
So for now the C 180 is the base C-Class, but it's more mature than any base C-Class before it. It is luxurious, high-tech, and dramatic, and while it's driving qualities aren't clearly class-leading, keep in mind that the limitations of previous C-Class base models have never stopped them from being very strong sellers. That should be even more true for the C 180.
