Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe C 180 BlueEFFICIENCY AMG Sport Plus G-Tronic
Mercedes car review: LUKE MADDEN
What is it?
The Mercedes C180 is the entry point to C-Class ownership and now it comes with a new 1.6-litre turbocharged engine rather than the 1.8-litre four-cylinder it used to be powered by. The result is better fuel economy, impressive performance and smooth power delivery. We’re testing it here in the Coupe model but you can get it both saloon and estate variants too. 
What’s hot?
- The point of this engine is to improve efficiency and the effect is fuel economy up from 38.6mpg to 44.8mpg while CO2 emissions have been cleaned up from 157g/km to 147g/km.
- The benefit for business buyers, then, is a lower Benefit in Kind company car tax figure and slightly lower pence per mile costs.
- And it’s an engine that sounds nice too. Under hard acceleration there’s an urgent bassy growl from the exhausts, while otherwise it’s just as capable of being quiet and refined when you want it to be.
- It’s not quite as clean or efficient as the diesel C220 CDI but then it costs around £2,500 less. For low mileage business drivers it’s the perfect choice.
- Particularly in AMG Sport trim, the C Coupe is capable of turning plenty of heads. On first glance you could even mistake it for the range-topping C63 AMG.
- The Coupe handles well too. The steering is quick to respond and there’s less body roll than in the saloon and estate models, making it feel a lot more agile.
What’s not?
- The C-Class is getting a bit long in the tooth and that shows in the interior. There’s nothing wrong with the quality but it all feels slightly outdated.
- And the ride isn’t ideal for long journeys. Large alloy wheels mean speed bumps and potholes aren’t soaked up in the luxurious way you expect from a Mercedes.
- A six-speed manual gearbox is standard but it’s not particularly great. You’ll probably want to shell out the extra thousand pounds or so for the auto.
- You pay for those good looks in the practicality department. There are just two cramped seats in the rear and there’s not a huge amount of space in the boot either.
