Mercs are known for their luxury quotient and their glib ride quality, and this C 250 CDI feels every bit a Mercedes. It floats softly over the tarmac, bumps are rolled over with only a slight pitter-patter and despite all the action below, the cabin is as silent as a tomb. But this is the AMGPerformance Edition, which has a few changes over the standard car. It’s slightly more aggressive to look at, there are sporty bits of trim on the insides and you can also tighten up that supple Merc suspension at the touch of a button.
Hit the Sport button and the character changes. The suspension feels firmer, the body movement tighter and the car steers and drives with much more precession. It’s now more fun around corners, you get paddle-shifters behind the steering wheel and, with 204bhp and 51kgm of twist on hand, the performance is pretty impressive too. Those of you that are more enthusiastically inclined, however, would want more power from the bog-standard twin-turbo 250 CDI motor, and that’s understandable. It is called the AMG Performance Edition after all.
As with any AMG-kitted Mercedes, the C 250 CDI looks different; but the kit is more subtle than loud. There is no rippling bonnet bulge or slotted fenders and you really do have to look closely to tell the difference. AMG aficionados, however, will recognise the upside-down air dam, the only mildly flared wheel arches and the subtle side skirt. The 17-inch, five-split-spoke AMG wheels look delicious though, the rear bumper is distinctly bigger and juts out like a speedboat’s stern, and the blacked out ‘diffuser’ at the rear accentuates the sportiness.
On the inside, the changes are even more subtle. The three-spoke AMG steering wheel is attractive and nice to hold, the matte aluminum trim looks good and the driver also gets treated to big steel pedals dotted with black rubber.
It’s no surprise then that the C 250 CDI doesn’t wear an AMG badge on its bodywork. A far cry from the full-fledged 6208cc V8-powered bahn-stormer, it isn’t nearly extreme or crazy enough. Instead, the AMG kit rounds off the efficient and lavish nature of the C 250 CDI with a bit of youthful athleticism and a hint of sportiness. The best bit is that at a modest Rs 70,000 premium over the standard C 250 CDI Avantgarde, this AMG Performance Edition is good value for money, and a complete no-brainer.
Saumil Shah
Nikhil Bhatia
Lenny D'sa
Hormazd Sorabjee
