Interior
The interiors are definitely a step up from previous generation’s and in line with their more recent offerings. Most materials in the car are premium to touch and feel. Overall, the cabin is an extremely plush place to be in with the increased dimensions reflecting in the additional space available for front as well as rear passengers. The large iPad like vertically oriented infotainment head-unit is fairly intuitive to use.
Large bold pin stripes on the front dash certainly add a unique touch. They can be a touch polarising though. Some owners may prefer a more discreet look and while it does look grand initially, we can imagine a bold pinstripe finish something one might outgrow over a period of time:
Dashboard is distinct detailing and designed to give a rich and luxurious feel. The surface was fairly hard to touch though and as we mentioned before, we’re not sure if such a bold design would be to everyone’s taste. That said, it is, for now, likely to please more people than offend them: 
Drivers cockpit area is well laid out and pleasing to look at and be in:
Steering wheel follows the design theme of newer Mercedes models. The array of buttons can seem a bit busy but once you’re used to them, you’ll find that it’s handy to have most of the controls offered on the steering wheel itself. The sliders though, are a hit or a miss as many a time they don’t pick up movements and one has to repeatedly attempt to register a movement – similar issue to the S-Class. I think all newer Mercedes steerings will have this issue. Do note the steering adjustment is electric, which was present in the W204, but missing in the W205:
Bright and clear instrument cluster, but without any 3D option like in the S-Class. It’s still a pleasure to look at and displays all relevant information:
You have the option of displaying the maps on the instrument cluster, if you wish: 
Service menu display shows all the important information one would need. I don’t understand why Mercedes doesn’t allow one to switch the tyre pressure units to PSI. Would make many chauffeurs’ lives much easier:
Rotary light switch and the handbrake switch placed conveniently. Anyone who has driven any Mercedes of late will be comfortable right away with all controls in familiar positions:
Doorpad houses the seat and window controls and even the boot release. Switches for the mirrors have a touch like operation. The seat adjustment switches are similar to the S-Class, where you touch the area you want to adjust rather than the switch itself moving. Note that there are memory settings for the driver and passenger seats – something missed on the last-gen vehicle:
Burmester sound system does its job well. The Burmester 3D system on the C 300d would be much better though:
Front seats are extremely comfortable and supportive with a host of electronic adjustments including under-thigh support. The headrests are electronically adjustable for height too – a segment first feature:
Center facia looks good. Everything exudes quality. Interiors have been something Mercedes has been acing off late:
Air-con vents have a beautiful modern design with ambient lighting:
Seat kinetic settings (for the driver and front passenger seats) are interesting. When activated, the seat moves just a bit every now and then so that the driver (or passenger) is not in the same position for extended periods. The change in position is really very minor and not intrusive at all while driving:
Many settings for the ambient lighting, including multi-colour options. Mercedes does ambient lighting the best:
The car is equipped with Active Brake Assist. We’re still not convinced that this is apt for Indian conditions. Both Axe77 and I had some unsettling moments when the Active Brake Assist unexpectedly kicked in while driving in traffic. We tried to simulate the same situation again, but we couldn’t. Overall, it will certainly take some getting used to for people unfamiliar with the feature: 
Well designed cupholders. Wireless charging pad on the front right is designed such that the phone remains in place when it’s charging. A USB C port for Apple CarPlay connectivity has been provided:
Deep storage compartment under the center armrest is felt lined and has two USB C ports:
Touch controls for the sunroof. One has to slide his finger over the switch area to use it. Check out the cool textures and ambient lighting around the panel which gives it a floating appearance:
An area where the new C-Class has shown the biggest improvement over the W205 is the space in the rear. The new car is 65 mm longer in length and has a 25 mm longer wheelbase. The increased length has been well utilised in providing much better leg room for the rear passengers. I’m well over 6′ tall and could comfortably sit in the rear with the front seat adjusted for myself. The headroom was poor though. Notice the sunshades provided for the rear windows, and one for the rear windshield, which is electrically operated. BMW has stopped giving these of late on the 3-Series:
Boot space, like most cars in this segment, is moderate at best. Unlike the BMW 3-Series, which now has a raised floor under which the space saver is kept, the C-Class carries its space saver on the boot floor like its bigger siblings – extremely inconvenient for stowing luggage on those long road trips. Between the four of us sharing the car, the boot was pretty much filled up with our luggage and camera equipment:
Last edited by Aditya : 9th May 2022 at 12:32.
