Mercedes C-Class Electric driven: new tech, still a proper Merc
Mercedes describes this as the “sportiest C-Class ever”, which feels like a bit of a gauntlet thrown at BMW, given that driving dynamics have long been more of a 3 Series thing. And, predictably, all that electric power and instant torque mean this is a plenty fast car: your typical German executive will make short work of chunks of autobahn.
But there’s a decent linearity to the power: yes, if you bash the accelerator from a standing start a few times you’ll start to feel queasy, but with a little more reserve you really can use and enjoy that power to cruise along effortlessly.
And it truly is effortless: even by Mercedes’ standards, there’s a remarkable degree of refinement here. The smooth powertrain combines with a superbly isolated cabin to produce a quiet, calming drive. You really can waft along quite nicely.
In its press material, Mercedes puts much of the C-Class Electric’s sporty aspirations down to the combination of air suspension and rear-wheel steering, which are bundled in the optional £2500 Refinement Package. The latter offers up to 4.5deg of steering, which reduces the turning circle to 11.2m. As you would expect, both systems are adaptive.
Certainly it helps make the C-Class Electric easy to place, despite its not inconsiderable length, and the rear steering is natural enough that it rarely feels obtrusive or unsettling. The air suspension soaks up imperfections in the road brilliantly, smoothing out the ride and adding to that impressive sense of serenity.
That said, at higher speeds on the motorway the Airmatic suspension does occasionally offer that slightly unnatural bounce that such systems often do and doesn’t feel quite as connected to the road as you might like.
Mercedes even laid on a handling circuit to showcase the car’s sporty dimensions, and attacking that with gusto did show that, when pushed, the C-Class Electric can cope remarkably well for a big, heavy, electric saloon. I really could hustle it through bends. But a circuit is very much not its natural habitat.
As standard, the C-Class Electric is fitted with steel suspension, and I also drove an entry-level model (Sport grade in the UK) that rode on it. Truthfully, the difference doesn’t affect the ride too much: it predictably gets a bit more ruffled on rougher surfaces but also feels generally more connected on the motorway.
The lack of rear steering means you have to work a bit harder behind the wheel when manoeuvring at slow speeds but nothing too arduous.
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