![]() The faux wood has been replaced with a brushed-aluminum satin, the controls and dials lose some of that Mercedes complexity, and then there’s the addition of – dare we say? – cloth. Inside, it’s a compromise of traditional Mercedes luxury and practicality. You can’t really red-line the engine – it shifts for you at about 5,500 rpm – but it’s still a racer that loves to hear its own low-end grunt. But even in auto mode, Mercedes delivers a Triptonic shifter that allows the driver to toggle through the gears with clutchless shifting. The automatic shifts with skill and precision, but it takes some of that coupe feel away. We suspect the manual is even more of a delight. Unfortunately, our model came with optional automatic transmission. Its low-end power amounts to 190 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque, or about 0 to 60 mph in about 7.5 seconds – clearly, not just an ordinary hatchback. Mercedes tuned the fuel-injection and intake system to give the C230 a growl and a bite. Oh, it’s only a four-banger, you say? Not just y old four. Under the hood, the C230 Kompressor comes with one dynamic engine choice, an improved version of its traditional 2.3-liter supercharged four-cylinder, the same engine found in the SLK roadster. ![]() Riding on 16inch performance tires (standard), the C230 delivers a flawless, composed ride with tight, responsive steering and enough control to easily make you forget you’re driving something affordable. It comes with strut-front and multilink rear suspension that imitates the C-Class four door’s optional Sport package. Under the skin, the C230 is tuned to perform. Some might call it too radical, but that’s the appeal. Molded in the rear, is a back end that is completely new, squared off and very European. With four, rounded figure-eight Benz headlights, the front nose squats down into a low-profile stance and slowly rises up to the hatch … er, back, almost as if it’s ready to pounce. This is a completely distinct image – attractive, uniqu e and all its own. This is their step up.īased on the 2001 C-Class sedan (which we reviewed here last April), the C230 Kompressor shares the same wheelbase, suspension, steering and brakes as its larger, and more expensive, cousin but nothing more. Those cars priced between $28,000 to $40,000 make up 75 percent of all luxury vehicles sold in the U.S. And the entry-level luxury division is serious business. Six years ago, BMW tried to lure customers to a cheaper version of its 3-Series by borrowing everything from the more expensive models. Where it rocks is in the fact it is not just a dressed-down Benz. Where the C230 scores is in performance, handling, driveability and personality. We’ll also give them the benefit of having perhaps the best value for-dollar car we’ve ever driven. If the C230 is any indication, it will be alarmingly effective.Īs for the name, we’ll go ahead and give them the benefit of the doubt on the “sport” label, especially considering the C230 rolls in with rakish styling and standard sport suspension. It’s kind of like brainwashing your buyer with a Benz. Pretty soon, the 30-something C230 owner will be driving into your lot as a 50-something buyer looking for an S-Class and dropping loads of dough. ![]() It doesn’t take an engineering degree to figure out that if you introduce a new model, price it right and scale it down, young people who’ve always wanted a Benz will buy one. Mercedes actually says the downsizing isn’t about money as much as it is mass marketing. (Taking a seat at this point would be advised.) Like, less than a Chrysler Sebring or a Toyota Camry kind of cheap. They won’t call it a “hatchback” – “sports coupe” is the language of preference here – but make no mistake, this is all about flip-up trunks and more economical pricing. Practicality has hit the luxury market and performance has a new style and shape. Stooping to the Corollas of the world was unheard of.īelieve it before you see it, hide the children in the back seat and hang onto your cupholders: Hatchbacks, affordable prices and – gasp! – cloth seats have made it into a Mercedes. Hatchback on a Benz? That’s kind of like putting a $5 frame around a Renoir, or attaching a Wal-Mart to the Waldorf.įor decades, Mercedes has prided itself on its ability to draw the creme de la creme to its creamleather seats – without slashing prices or adding more suburban add-ons. You can’t really blame Mercedes for shying away, wincing or looking down its nose when the word “hatchback” is dangerously associated with its new C230 Kompressor. ![]()
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