Mercedes Benz C180 Kompressor

The Smallest and Sweetest Mercedes-Benz!

Over the last decade, the typical American consumer's motto was the bigger the car, the better. Luxury car makers churned out bigger cars with V8s capacity. The Mercedes-Benz was no exception. But the oil crisis last year where crude oil reached all-time highs saw smaller cars in high demand. Luxury car makers followed the fashion.

The Mercedes c180 is the latest Mercedes sedan - a 1,597cc four-cylinder engine - the smallest displacement Merc sedan in modern times.

This supercharged engine is from the same block as the 1.8 litre, with the same size cylinders, except that the piston stroke is shorter. It has the same power output but peak torque arrives at slightly higher engine speed.

Shorter stroke pistons tend to produce a sweeter delivery and this is evident across the C180's entire rev range, from a relaxed 1800 rpm when the car is cruising in fifth to a baritonal 5000rpm when overtaking quickly.

Driving about the city, the 1.6 litre C180 is relatively effortless, with revs hovering between 2000 and 2500 rpm, and power transmission accomplished efficiently by an old but trusty five-speed autobox.

You won't find yourself wishing for a Benz with a bigger engine. The car is as quick as as its 1.8 litre sibling. Not only that, you get slightly better fuel efficiency (around 3.7 percent improvement in city driving).

Apart from not having parking sensors and fully motorised seat adjustments, the 1.6 litre C180 is just as well-equipped as the 1.8.

You get dual-zone climate control, electric foldable wing mirrors, cruise control and a slew of onboard functions, accessible via steering-mounted controls, including a new Bluetooth cellphone hookup.

Cosmetically, the most visible change lies with winkers on the wing mirrors, which now resemble those on the yet-to-arrive new E-class.

Mercedes-Benz C180 Kompressor Blue Efficiency Facts:

Engine: 1597 cc 16-valve inline-4
Transmission: Five-speed automatic with quick shift
Power: 156 bhp at 5200 rpm
Torque: 230Nm at 3000 rpm
0-100 kmh: 9.9 speeds
Top speed: 223 kmp
Fuel consumption: 7.7 litres/100km (city highway)

Mercedes-Benz C180 Photo Gallery