Tenerife, Canary Islands - Is it just me, or does the distance between Stuttgart and Munich keep shrinking? Well no, not literally. Last I checked, there was still about 220 km of autobahn separating the respective home towns of Mercedes and BMW.
But the once-polarised personalities of their products do seem to be converging (somewhere near Günzburg, perhaps).
Fifteen years ago, if asked to choose between any BMW and its Mercedes equivalent, the driver-oriented Bimmer was always an easy choice over the don't-perturb-the-passengers Benz. But the decision is no longer a no-brainer.
That's especially true of the compact BMW 3 Series and Mercedes C-Class sedans. Yes, for around $50K I'd take a BMW 335i in a heartbeat over a Mercedes C350; at around $35K, however, the C250 just might shade the 323i.
Of course these contests always ebb and flow. Whichever automaker fields the freshest redesign usually gains an edge for a time. Which brings us to the 2012 C-Class.
Word is that the next-generation 3 Series is not far off, but for now Mercedes is getting its oar in first.
Not completely new, but close
The C-Class was completely renewed in 2008, so this isn't a complete clean-sheet redesign. Mercedes calls it, "the most comprehensive face-lift in our history."
The body gets a new face and fanny, there are extensive new appointments inside (click on the photo for more details), and most significantly, there are two all-new engines.
First let's get one other issue out of the way. No more manual transmission. If stirring your own cogs is key to your concept of sportiness, then the C-Class has just selected reverse. Yes, it's a shame, but we've seen this before.
Car buffs all love the idea of manual transmission in luxury cars, but the same buffs are rarely seen in actual luxury-car showrooms. Thus all versions of the new C-Class now shift with a seven-speed automatic transmission.
Rear-drive C300 leaves the line-up
The basic lineup is essentially as before - C250, C300 and C350. However the C300 now comes only with 4Matic all-wheel drive; the 250 and 350 still continue with rear-wheel drive or 4Matic.
Also unchanged for now are the 2.5- and 3.0-litre V6s in the 4Matic C250 and C300. But while the C350 still has a 3.5-litre V6, the engine itself is all-new hardware - the first Canadian application of M-B's new M276 direct-injection (DI) engine family.
And the rear-driven C250? Despite the nomenclature, the entry-level model debuts an all-new turbocharged 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine.
Oh yes, there is still a C63. The 2012 pocket-sledge-hammer retains its 6.2-litre, 451-hp AMG V8, but the conventional seven-speed automatic makes way for AMG's MCT version that replaces the torque converter with a multi-plate clutch (and comes complete with Race Start - cowabunga!)
The C63 wasn't on offer in Tenerife. Nor were any 2.5 and 3.0 V6s, but no matter - they don't change in Canada for now.
What was in our plans was the 3.5 V6, until a mob of Eastern European auto-writers stormed off the plane ahead of us and grabbed all the C350s. At least, though, I would experience the engine in the SLK the next day.
Four is more
Meanwhile, my C-Class experience focused on the RWD C250 - fine by me, since the new "four" is, after all, the way of the future (more to come on that). I also tried the impressive four-cylinder diesel.
Oil-burners already dominate in Europe, and the C220 CDI is a prospect over here if M-B Canada gets its way - which basically means the U.S. needs to want it too.
A few key stats to whet the diesel appetite: 170 horsepower from 2.1 litres; 295 lb.-ft. of torque (more than the 3.5 gas V6); 1,800 rpm cruising at 120 km/h; and EU combined fuel consumption as low as 4.8 L/100 km.
The gasoline "four" boards the bandwagon that raises fuel economy by shrinking engines and adding turbochargers to restore, or even surpass, the performance of the previous larger engine.
In the new C250, a lightweight 1.8-litre DI four makes the same 201 horsepower as the 2.5-litre V6, and 229 lb.-ft. of torque (eight more than the three-litre V6) from 2,300 to 4,350 rpm. Canadian fuel-consumption data is not yet available.
The biggest gas savings are still to come
The new 3.5 V6 generates 302 hp, up from 268; peak torque is fattened from 258 to 273 lb.-ft. That's two more horses and 27 fewer "torques" than BMW 335i engine. The 0-100 km/h interval drops from 6.4 from 6.0 seconds (BMW: 5.6).
Mercedes-Benz Canada predicts a 10 per cent reduction in fuel consumption, a lot less than the 31 per cent claimed in Europe. Apparently our higher-sulphur fuel mandates a less finely-optimised DI system than used in Europe.
As well, automatic engine stop-start is almost universal on European C-cars; we don't get it for now, though we're told its coming.
Mercedes isn't the first to field a turbo four-pot in this segment. Audi has been doing it for years -- and its 2.0T is a tough act to follow. On paper it beats the Mercedes for both power (211 hp) and torque (258).
On pavement, first impressions suggest the Audi is less prone to turbo lag (the Benz doesn't really wake up until north of 2,500 rpm).
And although the new Benz four spins really sweetly at the top end, some grittiness around 2,500-3,000 rpm occasionally betrays the missing cylinders.
In hard numbers, the C250 I4's 0-100-km/h time of 7.2 seconds lops more than a second off the previous RWD 2.5 V6 (8.4 sec) and even shades the 3.0 (7.3).
Audi claims 7.3 seconds for the base FWD A4 2.0T, and BMW 8.1 sec for its entry-level 323i (automatic).
Best Benz steering this side of an AMG
Foreign pavement and autobahn-rated tires mean that Canadian cars on home turf may not steer and ride exactly like the ones we drove in Tenerife. But we can hope.
The steering was the best yet from Mercedes - taut and tactile enough to engage press-on drivers, light enough to satisfy utility drivers. Mercedes has not yet "progressed" to electric power steering, which saves fuel but usually taints steering feel.
The standard "Agility Control" suspension tightened up the body motions as advertised during expressive cornering, and if the ride sometimes seemed a tad bouncy on rumpled pavement, that may say more about Tenerife roads than the Benz's dampers.
2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class family
A number of driver-assist technologies have migrated down to the 2012 C-Class in what Mercedes called a "democratization of high tech" Attention Assist (which detects a drowsy driver) will be standard in Canada, and a rear-view camera optional; but only C300 and C350 can add the Driver Assistance Package, which contains only the passive (not active) versions of Blind Spot Assist and Lane Keeping Assist.
Our evaluation of the 3.5 will have to await the 2012's arrival in Canada this summer, and it remains to be seen what BMW will do with the next 3 Series.
For now, the baby Benz is still unmistakeably a Mercedes, but it also feels like Stuttgart just relocated a little closer to Munich.
2012 Mercedes C250 RWD
Price: $TBA
Type of vehicle: RWD compact luxury sedan
Engine: 1.8-litre, 16-valve, DOHC I-4 turbo
Power/Torque: 201 hp/229 lb.-ft.
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
0-100 km/h: 7.2 seconds
Fuel consumption (city/hwy): TBA
Competition: Acura TSX, Audi A4 2.0T, BMW 323i, Infiniti G25, Lexus IS 250, Saab 9-3 2.0T, Volvo S60 T5
2012 Mercedes C250 4Matic/C300 4Matic
Price: $TBA
Type of vehicle: AWD compact luxury sedan
Engine: 2.5-litre, 24-valve, DOHC V6/3.0-litre, 24-valve, DOHC V6
Power/Torque: 201 hp/181 lb.-ft. / 228 hp/221 lb.-ft.
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
0-100 km/h: 8.4/7.3 seconds
Fuel consumption (city/hwy): TBA
Competition: Audi A4 Quattro, BMW 328ix, Cadillac CTS AWD, Infiniti G25x/G37x, Lexus IS250 AWD, Saab 9-3 AWD, Volvo S60 T6 AWD
2012 Mercedes-Benz C350/C350 4Matic
Price: $TBA
Type of vehicle: RWD/AWD compact luxury sedan
Engine: 3.5-litre, 24-valve, DOHC V6
Power/Torque: 302 hp/273 lb.-ft.
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
0-100 km/h: 6.0 seconds
Fuel consumption (city/hwy): TBA
Competition: Audi S4, Acura TL SH-AWD, BMW 335i/x, Cadillac CTS/4, Infiniti G37/x, Lexus IS 350/AWD, Volvo S60 T6 AWD
PREVIEW SUMMARY
PROS
Much-improved interior finish, with all modern conveniences
It may be a Mercedes, but it's priced to compete
New turbo four-cylinder engine boosts performance and fuel economy
CONS
Manual transmission no longer available
Not a lot of rear-seat space and comfort for the money
Four-cylinder engine feels a tad gravelly at some engine speeds
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