For the Mercedes C class to hold a 2007 Australian “Wheels Car Of The Year” award, it might seem rather futile to tell you in any further detail just why the judges may have come to this conclusion. But the Mercedes C320 Cdi is so good I’ve just got to pass it on – to you the reader.

Take a look for yourself at the picture of the Mercedes C320 Cdi and you will see an elegant and sporty styled nose. The Mercedes-Benz C320 Cdi’s face shows off the very dominating status symbol: the three pointed star. The radiator grille with three louvres sits neatly between nicely proportioned clear-lensed headlights, and the round driving lights are tucked away in the stylish front air dam. All this sets off the sweeping German design beautifully. Any glimpse of this machine closing in on your rear vision mirror would be quite an intimidating sight.

The petrol versions of the C-series are smooth and swift, but how does the diesel stack up? Under the hood of the Mercedes C 320 Cdi lies a diesel engine that ranks as one of the best of its kind in the world. A class leading 221bhp puts the Mercedes C320 Cdi well ahead of its two main rivals – the Audi A4 3.0 TDI and the BMW 330d. To be honest with you, the 0–100 km/h time of 6.9 seconds is quite sensational. Where you find yourself heading with this sort of acceleration is into big Aussie V8 territory. But what Aussie V8 can give this type of scorching performance and return a mouth watering combined fuel consumption figure of nearly 40mpg? You guessed it – there ain’t any!

Underway, the Mercedes C320 Cdi is a very tidy handler, and is quick to enter tight bends and quick to burst out from them. A variable geometry turbocharger works in conjunction with piezo electric technology to provide remarkable torque across a broad variation in engine speed. This, as you can imagine, makes speed from corner to corner very quick.

A superb six-speed gearbox is fitted as standard on the Mercedes Benz C320 Cdi, and it is an effortless task to keep the Merc moving rapidly. One component with the Mercedes C320 Cdi that is gorgeously fun is the ability of passing slower moving traffic very quickly. Plant your boot at 80 kays and the time it takes to reach 120 km/h is completed in a rapid 6.2 seconds. This creates a smile on any driver’s face – you have been warned! To put this passing capability into perspective, the Mercedes C320 Cdi is as quick from 80-–120 as the potent Mercedes Benz V8 C55 AMG.

At these sorts of speeds, the cabin remains very quiet and refined, as you would expect from Mercedes. With a five star European Crash Test Record and an interior providing occupants with the best luxury features that you will find anywhere, you just can’t go wrong buying a Mercedes Benz C320Cdi.

Current model series include:

• Mercedes Benz C320 Cdi Elegance
• Mercedes Benz C320 Cdi A’garde

For any more information on the Mercedes Benz C320 Cdi, or for that matter any other new car, contact one of our friendly consultants on 1300 303 181. If you’d like some fleet discount pricing (yes even for private buyers!), we can submit vehicle quotes requests out to our national network of Mercedes dealers and come back with pricing within 24 hours. Private Fleet – car buying made easy!

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