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Gaga over the new Merc C250's safety features [Independent on Saturday (South Africa)](Independent on Saturday (South Africa) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) IT wasn't the speed, the class or the sexiness that stood out for me when I was handed the keys to the Mercedes-Benz C250. It was the safety features of the German car that blew me away. For starters, the C250 has a digital speedometer that reflects on to the windscreen, so you can monitor your speed at all times. For someone who goes over the speed limit from time to time, I found this feature handy. The C250 has the latest active and passive technology including attention assist, blind-spot assist, collision-prevention assist plus an electronic stability programme with acceleration skid control. It was the first time I had driven a car with attention assist, so forgive me for going all gaga over the feature. For those who don't know, attention assist kicks in when a driver is feeling drowsy or tired. Once the system "knows" how you drive by collecting data in the on-board computer, it can tell when you've started behaving a little erratically. It instructs you to stop driving and take a break. I wish all cars would include a feature like this to reduce the number of road accidents. The blind-spot assist on both side mirrors will tell you if a car |is lurking in your blind spot. What a pleasure. Then there's the "Pre-Safe" feature which helps you prepare for an accident before it happens. This exclusive system can sense that a collision might be imminent and helps the driver prepare for it. Using a network of sensors, Pre-Safe can detect certain conditions that suggest an accident is about to occur, such as extreme skidding. I could go on and on about the safety features, but there's far more to this Mercedes than just safety. For those who are familiar with the brand, you will recognise that the design looks similar to the S-Class. A notable difference, aside from the inclusion of LED lights in the new C250, compared to the old C-Class, is the shape of the back of the car and its lights. They have changed the back significantly. I prefer the old shape. This was the only thing that didn't tickle my fancy. The interior has been fitted with genuine wood and the seats are |soft leather. The C250 includes driver-seat memory features, |which allows up to three drivers |to save their seat settings. There are even seat heating and cooling options for the front seats that come in handy on those cold early morning drives to the office. In terms of entertainment, there is a high-resolution screenpad controlled by a touchpad. You can control your radio as well as the Bluetooth option and GPS on the high-res unit. The GPS is impressive and is more effective for me than the standard hand-held Garmin and TomTom. Of further interest are secret compartments beneath the driver and passenger seats. The car is started at the push of a button - as long as the key remains in your pocket the car will start. It also locks by swiping your finger over a sensor at the front door. I've become a huge fan of keyless cars. The C250 allows drivers to choose from three suspension settings: comfort, sport and sport plus. For most of the time, I drove it in comfort mode because it felt steady on the road, no matter the speed. For those who want more of an adrenalin rush, the sports |mode is for you. Around bends, the car slides more than it does in comfort mode. Switching from driving a |1.6 VW Polo to driving a C250 Mercedes-Benz is a huge jump and I was moved. I wasn't the only one. My father, who is a loyal Audi driver, was taken aback by the car. In the past 15 years he has bought only Audis and is driving the A5. The C250 has, however, shifted his thinking slightly. He said he would consider visiting a Mercedes dealership the next time he decided to buy a new car. Overall, I was thoroughly won over by the car. I'm pretty sure it will be a huge hit among Merc fans in South Africa, despite its hefty price tag. The C250 coupé sells for R546 700. The Independent on Saturday (c) 2014 Independent Newspapers (Pty) Limited. All rights strictly reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info). |