Road tripping in a C-Class
For the tidy sum of R 735 059, you can own the Mercedes-Benz C220d AMG Line that I recently took on an extended road trip to the Lowveld. Throughout my more than 1 200 kilometre journey with this locally built machine, I feel as though I got to know the updated C-Class properly for the first time.
Since my colleagues have covered the C-Class from an exterior design and an interior ergonomics perspective in other reviews, this road test will be more concerned with the oil-burning variants’ cross country covering abilities with a smattering of what makes Mpumalanga such a great holiday destination.
Sedan savvy
It’s no secret that sedans, in general, are suffering in the sales charts thanks to the rise of SUVs and crossovers, however, my week with the C-Class reaffirmed my belief that the medium-sized German sedan is still the more rewarding and enjoyable vehicle to own and drive versus an SUV within the same price range.
The journey
After two days of commuting to the office and back in the C220d it was time for a weekend getaway to one of our great nation’s most attractive and scenic provinces, Mpumalanga, more specifically, White River. Departing early on a Thursday morning to maximise the time spent in the Lowveld, the first thing that became immediately apparent is that the C-Class could definitely have a softer ride quality, that pesky AMG Line package with its more firmly sprung suspension and larger wheels with lower profile tyres is surely to blame.
The AMG Line ride quality foibles aside, the C220d sailed to Milly’s, a must-stop location on any road trip to the Lowveld. With over 300km completed at this point, the trip computer stated that we could still do 800km on our current tank of diesel, quite incredible. We then made our way through to Nelspruit, via the Waterval Boven pass, which, aside from stop and go road works, provided some incredible roads on which to try-out the C-Class dynamically. Despite being a 2.0-litre diesel with an automatic gearbox, the C220d proved to be quite entertaining to drive.
The new generation engine displaces 2.0-litres and produces 143 kW and 400 N.m of torque which when mated to the brand’s nine-speed automatic gearbox makes for swift progress. Expect 0-100km/h to come up in 6.9 seconds along with a top speed of 240km/h. Those performance figures aren’t going to win over many hearts and minds, but the idea that you can cruise for over 1 000km on a single tank of diesel while giving a Golf GTI a run for its money in a straight line, makes this particular C-Class a great all-rounder.
After arriving in the Nelspruit area, the Long Tom Toboggan was our first activity for the day. An ill-mannered Waze application on my phone took us on a dirt road, less than ideal for a small executive saloon. We made it with the tyres intact and had a blast on the toboggan. Later, we travelled to Graskop to check-out the infamous gorge swing before calling it a day. Our accommodation in White River was at the Casterbridge Hollow Boutique Hotel in the Casterbridge Lifestyle Centre. The hotel and centre are personal favourites of mine and come highly recommended. There’s even a small classic car museum on the premises along with a vintage cinema and various shops and restaurants. I believe in commending good service when I receive it, we paid full price for our stay, for those concerned.
The following day we headed off to some of the most majestic waterfalls in Sabie before entering the Kruger National Park. We spent the entire day cruising along its smooth dirt roads, looking to spot a member of the Big Five. After a magical encounter with a Leopard, a few Elephants, Buffalos, a Giraffe or three and the cutest Hyena pup I’ve ever seen, we headed back to the hotel. Our final morning in Mpumalanga met us with thick mist and overcast conditions. My better half wanted to see God’s Window so we headed out that side, only to be greeted by rain, and a totally obscured view of the aforementioned window.
We knew that a stopover in Dullstroom for a bite to eat at Harrie’s Pancakes was a must, so we decided to take the back roads. It turned out to be a fantastic decision because the route from God’s Window, through Graskop, into the quaint town of Pilgrimsrest, past Crystal Springs Mountain Lodge, through Lydenburg and eventually into Dullstroom proved to be an incredibly picturesque journey. Before arriving in Dullstroom, I decided to (finally) put some fuel in the C-Class. After nearly 900km, the Benz still had some 250km of range, but a quick splash and dash which bumped our range up to 700km would ensure that we’d get back to Johannesburg comfortably.
The sleepy town of Dullstroom was abuzz that weekend thanks to a mountain bike race, making our meal at Harrie’s a bit more festive than anticipated. After lunch we headed home, sad to leave Mpumalanga and its lush, activity-rich landscape for a return to the suburbs of Johannesburg.
Back home again
I handed the keys to the C220d back on that Monday after completing over 1 200km with an average fuel consumption figure of 5.2L/100km. It really made such a strong case for diesel-powered mobility within a South African context. The punchy torque delivery, the 1 000km+ range and the fact that the car itself was so refined and quiet really made the diesel C-Class an incredibly agreeable holiday companion.
