Classiest Estate on the market

Sporty looks, sprightly performance - and space.

The three new models are the C 180 and the C 200, powered by BlueDIRECT four-cylinder petrol engines with power outputs of 115kW and 250Nm, and 135kW and 300Nm respectively. The top of the range C 250 is armed with a BlueTEC four-cylinder diesel engine that produces 150kW and 500Nm.

The already spacious and practical Estate is both longer and wider than the outgoing model to provide more cabin space, particularly for the rear seat passengers. The load capacity has also been increased and the seating flexibility has been improved with the introduction of a 40: 20: 40 split instead of the 60:40 split in the predecessor. This opens up a wide range of possibilities for using the interior as a five-, four-, three- or two-seater.

You stick your right foot out, and you wave it all about...

Practical improvements include electric unlocking of the rear seat backrests to create a flat, larger load compartment. For a wad more folding matter Estate owners can add further practical extras including a hands-free access system with which you can open and close the tailgate by waving a foot under the rear bumper.

That 40:20:40 split adds up to 100%... in terms of versatility and ease of use.

In terms of looks, the Estate mirrors the sporty exterior design (right down to a choice of two front-end trimmings) and sophisticated living quarters of the C Class sedan. In addition to the base model, there are also three distinct design and equipment lines each for the exterior and interior. The new Estate also sports a range of new safety systems and the upgraded engines make them more frugal than others in this segment.

Even the base model has a long list of plusses

As one has become accustomed to with this luxury German car brand the new Estate is furnished with a long list of fancy kit and even the base model C180 in standard mode has halogen headlamps with integrated LED daytime running lights, a PRE Safe system, agility control suspension, thermatic auto climate control, collision prevention assist PLUS, and the Easy pack tailgate. In addition the C 180 has a long optional extras list which could set a buyer back an additional R224,250 for the full-house and push the vehicle's total with-extras price up to R673,081.

It may be an Estate, but it handles like a sedan.

I drove all three models on a long and interesting return trip between Johannesburg and Clarens and even howling winds, torrential rain, potholed roads, sadly neglected towns and some atrocious driving by huge trucks en route could not dampen the driving pleasure of this new Merc station wagon, oops, I mean Estate.

Fast enough to have you up before the beak

Although I generally prefer fossil fuel power to diesel, the 250 BlueTEC Estate was the model that I enjoyed the most. It delivers power seamlessly and at a rate of knots which gives it the quickest 0-100km/h sprint time and the highest top end speed of 241km/h.

The powerplant... more than enough oomph...

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It may have something to do with extra weight of the diesel engine but the diesel model also feels a tad more planted than the other two. In spite of its extended length the new Estate handles like a sedan - and that goes for all three models.

The difference a button can make

It clings tenaciously to the tarmac and the steering gives good feedback, even when cracking the whip. What I particularly liked of all three models (particularly noticeable on the C 250), was the difference a button can make, just by varying the selection between "Comfort", "ECO", "Sport" or "Sport+". An additional "Individual" setting enables drivers to configure their vehicle even further.

Just what you'd expect in the living quarters.

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Like the rest of the C Class range, an electromechanical Direct-Steer system is also standard on the Estate. It is too complicated to describe in detail but put simply, it adjusts the steering set-up according to speed and driving style.

Maverick! Heads up!

The new Estate has such a long list of special features that it would take a sleep-inducing age to describe them all, but one I really enjoyed was the head-up display, which is a completely new feature in the Estate. As in a jet fighter, it projects important information directly into the driver's field of vision, ensuring that there is less distraction from the road ahead. The system provides information on vehicle speed, posted speed limits, navigation instructions and DISTRONIC messages and is an absolute pleasure to use.

The Mercedes-Benz Estate is hugely popular, particularly in Europe, and its sales graph in this country is also showing a strong northerly tendency as South Africans are re-discovering the practicality, pleasure, and other advantages over an SUV that Estates bring to the party.

With its latest Estate, Mercedes-Benz has created a stylish, practical and luxuriously sporty vehicle guaranteed to please a wide buying audience and to put big smiles on the faces of the brand's sales staff while other estate carmakers can only look on with envy.

Specifications

Mercedes-Benz TV: Torie tests the new C-Class Estate

2014 ALL-NEW Mercedes-Benz C-Class 250 CDI Estate

Mercedes-Benz C-Class C250 Estate - Video