It takes a lot to persuade ESM’s editor to jump out of bed at 5am. But the combination of Silverstone and nineteen new Mercedes models seemed to do the trick.
We’ve certainly been on something of a three-pointed star theme here at ESM the past few weeks, but things went into overdrive by attending this year’s Media Driving Day. The premise is fairly simple – turn up and test out a wide range of new models from across the entire Mercedes spectrum. From the £14,000 Smart fortwo, to the £136,000 AMG S63 Cabriolet, there was something to highlight every niche occupied by the Stuttgart firm. We tried out six cars we think show the core brand segments.
Mercedes-Benz C220d Coupé AMG LineHaving had a lengthy drive down from the North East, the first choice of the day was the relaxing environment of the new C-Class Coupé in 220d AMG Line specification. After 200 miles of bouncy Polo GTI suspension, the relative comfort of the C220d was quite welcome. In fact the ride was one of the standout features from the 45 minute drive along the roads in the vicinity of Silverstone which, given their appalling state of repair, create a lot of challenges for suspension systems.
Produving 168hp from the 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel engine, performance is warm rather than rapid, with a 0-62mph time of 7.5 seconds and a top speed of 145mph. Out on the road, the 295lb-ft of torque – and seamlessly smooth nine-speed gearbox – mean the C220d feels fast...