Mercedes recently sent its C-Class junior executive cars to the gym for some extra muscle to keep up with the upgraded Audi A4 and the new BMW 3 Series.
There are four new V6 and three new four-cylinder petrol engines and a new turbodiesel while the 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic gearbox with manual sequential shift is now available in the C-Class for the first time.
The top-of-the-range C350 sedan tested here has emerged with impressive thigh muscles, boasting 200kW of power and 350Nm of torque compared to the previous C320's 160kW and 310Nm.
It's the most powerful sports sedan in its class, according to Mercedes; on paper it outguns the 190kW/300Nm BMW 330i although in a street fight the 330i is quicker off the mark thanks to its manual transmission.
The automatic Merc takes 8.6sec to reach 100km/h at Gauteng altitude against the Beemer's 7.7; at sea level each should be about a second quicker.
The Mercedes makes up for it with overtaking punch and effortless cruising, delivering a strong shove whenever you punch the throttle all the way, up to its governed 250km/h top speed.
The big V6 doesn't need revs to deliver the goods - almost 90 percent of the torque is on call at little more than idle.
The engine is very smooth but Mercedes hasn't chickened out and made the car sound like a sewing machine. This is the new Mercedes-Benz, in touch with its sporty side, the company that builds ballistic bahnstormers such as the turbocharged SL65 uber-roadster and the supercharged E55 AMG, so the C350 speaks with considerable authority.
It also has cornering to match its straight-line urge, especially with the optional sports package as fitted to our test car, comprising wider (245/40) rear tyres than the 225/45 fronts, sports seats and pedals and a few other cosmetic tweaks.
It delivers a good balance between sharp handling and a comfortable ride although some road ripples aren't entirely filtered out by the low-profile rubber.
On the track the C350 handles like a proper sports sedan; it feels composed and steady through fast corners, its steering perhaps not as sharp as a BMW's but still nice and meaty with traction control and ABS brakes to keep things neat and tidy should the driver become over-enthusiastic.
The seven-speed transmission is ultra-slick but kicks down sooner than it needs to rather than relying on the engine's hefty torque for acceleration. Even in manual mode the car still kicks down unbidden - in which case, one wonders, why offer the manual mode at all?
Mercedes says the C350 is more economical than the previous C320 as well as more powerful, claiming 1.4 litres/100km better fuel usage. Our test car averaged 12.2 litres/100km on a combination of town and freeway driving.
Safety equipment
The updated C-class range gets a new Neck-Pro active head restraint system on the front seats that detects a rear-end collision and moves the headrests forwards and upwards to help prevent whiplash injuries, as well as an impressive array of crash bags and seatbelt pretensioners.
Thanks to last year's cosmetic upgrade the C-Class now has a more welcoming interior, sophisticated with a dash of sporty flair - unlike the conservative cabins of bygone Mercs.
The leather seats provide good lateral support for fast cornering; the cabin offers ample accomodation for four tall adults with numerous storage nooks to accommodate their clutter. The boot holds 455 litres worth of retail therapy plus a full-size spare.
There are enough buttons on fascia and steering wheel to delight the gadget freak, controlling the audio system, automatic air-conditioning, trip computer and optional satellite navigation. The headlights can be set to switch on automatically when it gets dark.
If you tend to park by braille an extra R6 500 buys the Parktronic option that beeps when you get too close to anything; it's one of a range of extras you can order for the C350 that include an electric sunroof and cornering headlights.
The sports package on the test car cost R12 500.
SUMMARY
The Mercedes-Benz C350 is a powerful sports sedan for the executive with a sporty streak but it's no bargain at R377 000 compared to R346 500 for the BMW 330i.
The choice will probably come down to badge loyalty. - Star Motoring