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Flush mounted headlights are the signature of Mercedes luxury
2002 Mercedes-Benz C Class
By Lou Ann Hammond
There is a little town North of Montreal Quebec named Mont Tremblant. The name means trembling mountain. Mercedes-Benz unveiled their sporty C230 coupe there this week. If the other Manufacturers had seen the new Mercedes-Benz C230 this week, they would have been trembling. Mercedes-Benz is targeting the coupe to single females between the ages of 30 to 35, with a median household income of $75,000. The coupes youthful style, unique sliding sunroof, elliptical headlights, spoiler, and split rear window give the C230 a distinct identity, which all women appreciate. The 2002 C230 will also attract first time buyers. It is sporty, boosts a new style and only costs $24,950.
The new C230 is a strategic addition to the Mercedes-Benz portfolio. The entry-level segment is the fastest-growing portion of the luxury category boosting 875,000 sales in 1999. Mercedes-Benz is reaching out to a group that they have never sold to before. It is well known that customers usually stay with a brand they like if they have purchased it before. It is the most competitive segment of the market. No wonder Mercedes-Benz is as anxious as a couple waiting for the birth of their first child. Mercedes-Benz gave their designers and engineers all the latitude they needed to conceive their " baby benz", and those groups responded with an aerodynamic car full of sportiness and style. The C230 finishes the " Family of C-Models" for Mercedes-Benz, a model all can enjoy as their family gets older and more numerous. And soon, Mercedes-Benz will realize that they have given birth to a very healthy 3,401 lb. bouncing baby benz.
The most striking difference with the C230 is the panoramic sunroof. The sunroof is over thirty percent larger than traditional sunroofs, giving an open-air convertible like feel. The sunroof is actually a portion of the all-glass roof,
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Open-air convertible like feel
which slides out along with the wind deflector without sacrificing the headroom of the passengers. Two expansive glass panels provide an almost uninterrupted view from the windshield to the back seat, from the driver to the passenger side. While my partner and I were driving the car through the curves of the countryside the sun beat down on us. With a flick of a button the electric blind covered the glass panels. There is a curved tinted panel in the rear below the integral rear spoiler, and between the taillights, which makes backing up easier. A concern of mine was the noise level at high speeds. Mercedes-Benz allowed us to take the cars around Le Circuit Mont Tremblant. The average time was about 1:24. I coerced Jim Resnick, of Mercedes-Benz, to drive me around the course. Jim is the Product/Technology PR Specialist. Jim used to race cars, and used to be a driving instructor. His time was 1:15, the best in a stick shift. The wind noise was minimal. The A-pillars were created triple-strong, with three-layer construction, just to combat the noise issue. They are shaped to minimize wind noise at speed, as are the door seals.
The dash was easy to figure out, if you are familiar with Mercedes-Benz vehicles. The dash has unique black-on-white gauges trimmed in chrome. Like other hatchbacks, the Coupe's rear seats fold to create an enormous cargo area. The two rear seats can be folded individually, in a 60/40 split, or together. Mercedes rates the Coupe’s maximum cargo capacity at a spacious 39 cubic feet. Like other Mercedes, there's also an FSS (Flexible Service System) engine scheduling system that alerts the driver to the need for an optimal oil change by monitoring oil level, with a dielectric oil quality sensor, temperature, road speed, engine load and other variables. I was most impressed with the seats on the C230. I looked at the riding itinerary, and knew by the end of the day my back would be hurting. As
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Interior luxury
we went over the one-lane bridge into the racetrack I realized I was preparing to wince, and no wince came. Mercedes-Benz had their seats made to the same stringent specifications that they always do. Fehrer built the seats. They are built on an aluminum chassis with a layer of horsehair on top of layers of foam. The junction between the seatback and the seat cushion houses two springs which act as an internal suspension. You do not have to rely on just the suspension of the vehicle; the seat itself provides vertical cushioning. The seat is exclusive to the C sports coupe. There is a bigger bolstering on the sides and the back of the seat, giving a more solid contour around the lumbar area of the back.
Safety
When it comes to safety, the C-Class Coupe is fully equipped. Mercedes-Benz has integrated safety through their innovative suspension and braking system. Antilock brakes make the grade, as does Mercedes Electronic Stability Program (ESP). Dual-stage front and side airbags deploy in two levels, depending on the severity of the impact. A side window-bag air curtain protects the heads of all passengers in the outboard seats. The side curtain airbags are akin to an air mattress, with nine air chambers spanning the full distance of the side windows from front roof pillar to rear roof pillar. Parktronic, an ultrasonic system that alerts the driver to objects behind the rear bumper when reversing, is optional.
What is inherent in every person is mind when they go shopping is resale value. One looks for a car they like, with all the amenities they can afford, and all the safety features installed. But in the back of their mind is the thought, how much can I get for this car when I want to sell it? One of the highest resale values on the market is a Mercedes-Benz. Mercedes-Benz has now allowed the first-time buyer to experience a higher resale value on their first car. Just one more reason to buy the C230.
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Welcome to the family of C-Models
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