New Merc light and tasty, says Hakkinen

By ALASTAIR SLOANE

World Formula One champion Mika Hakkinen reckons the new C-Class Mercedes-Benz is a "fabulous driving experience."

Hakkinen and his West-McLaren team-mate David Coulthard drove the car - due in New Zealand either late this year or early next - in Germany and their opinions were recorded on video for Mercedes-Benz.

The brief video opens with Hakkinen telling a cameraman in the back seat of the car to put on his seatbelt - "just in case." Then it cuts to shots of Hakkinen at the wheel at speed.

"Some people think the most important characteristic of a car is its power - I think it is the brakes," he says back on camera after high-speed circuits.

"The power is okay. I would have preferred more - you understand why. The handling is outstanding. It feels very light, which is important."

Coulthard said the balance of the C-Class was very good. "The biggest thing is its handling. It is a very good package, a very good new car."

Hakkinen and Coulthard drive race cars powered by Mercedes-Benz engines and could be accused of bias.

But the car's handling - also a feature of early European test reports - can be put down to a switch to a more agile rack and pinion steering system, an all-new chassis and suspension.

Mercedes-Benz has for the first time used MacPherson struts in the front, replacing the double wishbone/coil spring arrangement.

The new set-up is more compact, say engineers, and improves steering precision. The multi-link rear suspension has been updated, again for more precise handling.

Buyers will be able to order the optional sports suspension, which lowers the ride height, decreases suspension travel front and rear and increases spring rates.

The C-Class is bigger overall than the car it replaces, but is 5mm lower. This sleek profile is responsible for a wind-cheating drag coefficient of 0.26, significantly better than the old model's 0.30.

The new C-Class is readily identifiable by twin oval headlights, which are joined to form one unit. This is a styling development from the ground-breaking E-Class front end of four years ago.

High levels of standard equipment will be a feature of the new model, which has been viewed internationally as a scaled-down S-Class.

Expect things like adaptive driver and passenger airbags and window bags and child safety seat recognition. The steering wheel's in-built controls can be programmed to handle up to 50 functions.

No word on the model line-up for New Zealand yet but there are seven new engines available. The engine in the old 1.8-litre Classic is replaced by a new 2.0-litre four-cylinder providing more power and torque.

The V6 C240 has also been given more torque, as has the C320. The common-rail turbo-diesel model will use the C270 CDi engine found in the latest four-wheel-drive M-Class.