Mercedes-Benz C 250 Sport: Launch Review

Not so much
>> Firm ride
>> Rear seat access

The C250 is Mercedes-Benz's highest selling C-Class model, particularly so the two-door Coupe body style, and the German importer reckons the new Sport model has been introduced due to customer demand. The idea is to inject some performance DNA – new suspension, brakes, wheels, gearbox settings – to make it handle better, while adding extra kit inside and out to make it look and feel hotter too.

And the result? A more involving and capable sports car.

Though it has the same 150kW turbo engine as the regular C250, the C250 Sport is a more focussed machine thanks to more grip via wider 18-inch alloy wheels shod with Italian tyres, and better body control via AMG-tuned suspension.  A sports exhaust system and upgraded braking system with “larger-dimensioned brake discs” are also fitted.

The German coupe looks pretty sleek with its lower ride height, accentuated by an AMG body kit (front and rear aprons, side sills, boot lid spoiler). Look closely and you'll also notice black exterior mirrors, sport badges on the car's flanks, plus a new mesh pattern air intake and glossy black and chrome grille at the front end. It's not quite as gnarly as the C63 AMG, but it doesn't cost $157,900 either.

The cabin looks and feels suitably sporty: red seat belts really stand out in the largely black interior, while deeply contoured faux leather/suede sports seats are probably the most impressive new interior items. The suede-esque microfibre sections on the seat squabs are grippy and combine with the seat bolsters to keep your torso from sliding around when cornering at full tilt.

On that subject, Mercedes reckons the seats are “almost identical to the C63 AMG's” and even the two rear seats are deep-ish buckets, with the fake (but hard to pick) leather/suede treatment. Rear seat room is also surprisingly good for this 2+2 seater, making it suitable for four adults.

Other updates to the Sport model include the red stitching on the doors, steering wheel, gear shifter, seats – pretty much everywhere you look – and red-piped sports mats and a chunky leather sports steering wheel are also part of the deal.

The standard feature list is what you'd expect on an $80k premium car: reverse parking sensors, automatic climate control, Bluetooth, light-sensing headlights, rain-detecting windscreen wipers and LED daytime running lights. There's also a COMAND infotainment system with a large colour screen and internet browser, voice controlled systems and dynamic route guidance satellite navigation. A 10Gb music register is also standard.
There is no C250 Sport sedan variant available, and though you can option similar interior and exterior options, including the lowered suspension, the AMG-tuned chassis is not available on the sedan.

MECHANICAL

AMG-tuned suspension drops ride height slightly and firms up spring and damper settings to deliver improved handling, while changes to the car's Engine Control Unit (ECU) are designed to improve the speed of gearshifts. The seven-speed automatic transmission feels slightly quicker, most noticeable on the down shifts.

The upgraded braking system is another boon, delivering serious stopping power, thanks to larger diameter rotors. The car reacts coolly under heavy deceleration too, thanks to the firmer AMG-spec suspension – there's very little change in pitch.

The engine is a relatively small capacity 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol unit, producing 150kW/310Nm, enough herbs to get it from 0-100km/h in 7.2 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 210km/h. Power is transferred to the rear-wheels via seven-speed automatic transmission, which has Eco, Manual and Sport modes.

Mercedes says the car's fuel economy is rated at 6.9L/100km. When I glanced at the trip computer half way through the launch drive it read 15.9L/100km after some fast, winding roads, but had dropped back to 10.8L/100km by the end of the day.

ON THE ROAD

The AMG-tuned suspension transforms the C-Class Coupe into a serious corner carving machine, and though ride quality suffers somewhat, it's not so stiff that you'll feel every bump and pot hole in the road – it's still capable of being a daily drive.

The Benz C-Class Coupe has real teeth now, and tracks keenly through corners without much body roll to speak of and the extra wide rubber works wonders for grip, which allows you to push deeper and harder through corners than the regular C-Class Coupe.

It holds its line through a corner with far more decisiveness and feels more planted too.

There's less sneeze factor in the steering and it's far more direct than regular Benz models, which tend to feel a bit wooly and vague when you hack through corners at high speed.

The steering setup uses a more direct ratio, which, together with the stiffer suspension, sharpens front end feel, resulting in more predictable and quicker turn-in. It also makes driving the car more satisfying as you can 'feel' your way through corners with great clarity through the tiller.  

The anchors are a big improvement with a sharper bite and more stopping power. And much like the steering, the brakes benefit from the stiffer chassis.

In the search for driving enjoyment, the engine is a willing accomplice and revs to about 6400rpm at its peak. It gets moving quickly but the car is not light and you feel its weight most when accelerating in a straight line. Curiously you don't feel its bulk so much when cornering.

There's also a new exhaust system that turns up the engine volume slightly, and it's safe to say this particular C-Class Coupe feels less like a traditional Benz, and more like an AMG.

Many will question whether models like this will bastardise the AMG brand. But that's something for AMG owners to worry about, because the C250 Sport is a tidy sports coupe that will bolster the already popular C-Class Coupe range.

It could be argued that BMW has already released its watered-down M Performance Vehicles brand to leverage its performance partner's pedigree, so why can't Benz do the same? More of it I say!

The Mercedes-Benz C250 Sport doesn't have the sort of horsepower to tear the rear tyres clean off its shiny alloy rims, but it doesn't need to, delivering a satisfying driving experience through a well-sorted chassis.

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