Ceramic coating for a Mercedes E-class LWB

My father owns a 2019 Mercedes E-class LWB and I want to know if it makes any sense to give it a ceramic coating. If yes, are there any specific brands we should look at?

Atharv Natu, Thane

A ceramic coating on a car’s surface can offer various benefits, including protecting the paint from fading away due to constant exposure to the sun’s

UV radiation, as well as preventing it from harmful elements of nature such as dust, tree sap and bird droppings. It also makes the surface smooth and water repellent for easier cleaning, and gives it a pristine, mirror-like finish.

However, it must be noted that the shine and swirl-free look will only last until it is well taken care of, which is similar to when one would maintain the car otherwise with proper cleaning and application of a good wax regularly. But, compared to wax, the ceramic compound will last longer.

So, if your car gets parked in the open quite frequently or for long durations, getting a ceramic coating would help protect the paint’s finishing from a long-term ownership perspective and maintaining a shiny look. On the other hand, if you are looking to protect the paint from getting unwanted scratches in traffic, a paint-protection film (PPF) treatment of various body panels from renowned brands like 3M would be a better idea.

While there are many detailing studios offering ceramic treatment of various brands, we would suggest choosing the one which could provide you with good workmanship when it comes to the application of the coating.

Since your car is one year old, the most crucial aspects would be paint correction, such as removing imperfections like existing swirl marks (more pronounced on darker paint shades) and preparation of the car’s surface to be able to receive the ceramic compound and bind to it. A ceramic coating binds well to surfaces that have minimum scratches.

The entire process involves deep washing to remove any existing wax or oils, polishing, claying, application of ceramic coating and curing in an area with minimum dust in the air.

So, you must inquire about all these aspects in particular and zero in on a good service provider in your city without falling into the jargon of hardness of the coating.

Having said that, since the market prices of ceramic treatment are on the higher side, we would reiterate getting it done only if you can be sure that your car will be maintained diligently after getting the coating. Else, you can spend the money in annual detailing sessions for the car at a good outlet.