NEWBIE CARS: Right-Hand Drive W204 New C-Class spotted in Bangkok!

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Right-Hand Drive W204 New C-Class spotted in Bangkok!

Words: Dr Long and Peter Lee
Pictures: Peter Lee

Many people who have seen the new C-Class in the metal overseas have commended Mercedes-Benz for a job well done for the W204 looked upmarketly handsome, better than the printed or online images. The fresh lines and creases (especially the rising slant at the flanks plus lower chromed strips) are pleasantly reminiscent of the S-Class. Meanwhile, the new C�s rear end which we at For-Wheels thought was design-frozen in early 2000s (somewhat like a scaled down W211 E�s butt) didn�t turn out to be as �recycled� as it looked initially.

For-Wheels have its correspondent, Peter Lee in Bangkok to check out one of the first few right-hand drive W204s to be available in South East Asia, or Asia for that matter.
His frank and candid visual review of the all-new C-Class after the following pictures�

Just yesterday, I had the rare opportunity to view the new C-Class Avantgarde in the flesh (metal) at the Central World Plaza in Bangkok. This is the earliest unit in Thailand, imported and marketed by a grey importer here. I can only make comments regarding the visual aspects of the car since I did not have a chance to test drive this spanking new junior executive from Mercedes-Benz.

Of course, I will be making comparisons with its nearest rival, the BMW 3-series. I think of all persons to make comments, I should be the fairest as I currently own both a Brabus K4 (W211 E200K) and the latest BMW 335i (E92) coupe. Having said that, I am not aligned to either brands or makes.

In brief, BMW 3 had better be careful. This car looks tons better than current 3-series with curves and creases at the correct places, making the car look expensive and beautiful. With a matching bodykit, this car should be the talk of the town.

However when it came to the interior, things didn�t look so good. There is really no �Wow� factor. Having looked at the steering and the CD control panel, even my Brabus E-Class appears so much better at these places. The cabin is a real disappointment, in my honest opinion.

The acid test for this all-new C-Class of course, will be a test drive. I owned a C230K Avantgarde Sport just 2 years ago. Its Kompressor engine was lively (should be similar to the present engine) but chassis dynamics and ride comfort was somewhat poor. Let�s see if this new C has got her act together�