Benz: Why new C-Class may be smarter than you are

With new ranges like the A-Class, B-Class and CLA coming in to challenge the smallness of the C-Class, it helps that this whipper-snapper has more space, gadgets and luxury. This is clearly not your father’s ‘Baby Benz’, as the C-Class was adorably named after the equally adorable 190 model that was a smash-hit in Nigeria […]

With new ranges like the A-Class, B-Class and CLA coming in to challenge the smallness of the C-Class, it helps that this whipper-snapper has more space, gadgets and luxury. This is clearly not your father’s ‘Baby Benz’, as the C-Class was adorably named after the equally adorable 190 model that was a smash-hit in Nigeria decades ago.
The weight of the C-Class has been scaled down by the use of aluminium in the body, down by a whopping 10kg, which means your tyres will last longer even if you frequently ply pothole or bump-covered courses that pass for roads in the country. It’s slightly bigger a car, though, by about 10cm in length and 4cm in width, meaning a little more room in the boot than usual for such models. 
There are a lot of variants available. Two of the first models to be released will begin with sensible petrol engines (the 154bhp C180 and 182bhp C200). There will be ‘greener’ variants coming, with Benz eyeing BMW’s green-car success with, well, green eyes. There will also be a plug-in version and many others, especially if the model is a hit.
It’s got a six-speed manual as standard and the option of seven-speed auto. There’s also an Audi-style touchpad that recognises all the swipe-pinch-tap gestures familiar from whatever smartphone you use.
The delightful thing about the new C-Class is, firstly, how smart it is, and secondly, how that is possible as it seems to have co-opted the fantastic new S-Class’s technology, like scanning for danger ahead and braking autonomously from 125mph. That’s quite a feat for a car that will probably retail for about N9m when it shows up on these shores early this year. Mercedes Benz freaks are probably waiting with bated breath. I know I am.