Can the new Mercedes-Benz C-class outpoint the class favourite?
23 May 2000 By ALEXANDER CORNE PURPLE! The staid sedan formerly known as the C-class has been reinvented by Mercedes-Benz into a trendy, sporty, dedicated follower of fashion. Gone is the square, flat, conservative family look of the boxy 1990s cars and in the rush to lure new buyers – many more of them women – Benz has replaced edges with curves. More brazenly, the colour chart now sports a deep purple exterior paint as well as metallic gold to join the ever popular Brilliant silver, the choice of more than 36 per cent of all Benz buyers. The snazzy styling is expected to lure more buyers who previously would not consider the sober Benz, buyers for whom flash and dash, sharp steering and handling were the prime motivators. A sharply drooping bonnet and extra-fast windscreen line set up the impression this is a more agile, sportier car. The melted-cheese look of the twin headlamps continues the rather mixed Mercedes family front-end appearance, though the car becomes instantly recognis
