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(Apparently).

And like me, he is floored by what Mercedes has wrought with the new C class.

Watch this video and you’ll see why…

(Makes the 3 series look a bit one dimensional and short sighted just a three years after launch, doesn’t it?)

Although it’s not expected in showrooms til sometime next year, I will have the opportunity to spend the next few days with the developmental mules of one of the most interesting and significant cars in years. Although it is unlikely I’ll be able to tell you much beyond that, I can assure you that those involved are very serious about delivering on their claim of making a competitor to the established brands.

Skeptical? Dust off you magazines circa the late 80s and early 90s when people doubted the Japanese could compete with the Europeans.

Having helped someone shop for “an Acura, Lexus or Infiniti” last week solely because they didn’t want to be seen in a Mercedes, BMW or Audi, you have to wonder if this isn’t exactly the right car at exactly the right time… (This car can teach VW’s ad agency what ‘low ego emissions’ really means).

If you haven’t noticed, Mercedes Benz decided at some point that Benz didn’t have to be synonymous with dull. First came the SLK, then the new S class, then the SL revision. Now we have the upcoming C class, which seems set to strike a brilliant balance between sporting and supple:

Feel is superb, grip prodigious and, no matter how hard you push, the C350 refuses to come a cropper. Truth is, it enjoys being taken by the scruff of the neck and hammered. The basic tenacity and faithfulness of the chassis, massaged and focused by the electro-hydraulic damping regimes, can simply murder a twisty road. And the steering isn’t just beautifully weighted but dripping with feel. Cornering balance is just about spot on, too.

Even with the traction control left on (being a non-AMG it never fully switches off), slide the auto down a cog or two and it’s possible to enter a bend on a trailing throttle with a mild state of oversteer. Stab-correct stuff; your granny could do it. There’s definitely a feeling that the car is maybe more than an equal partner – flattering to the point you begin to doubt your own contribution. But also encouraging.- evo

Welcome back, Mercedes.

I’ve never understood the Accord Hybrid given that even the 4 cylinder Accord feels ill equipped to handle the torque its 2.4L I4 produces. Apparently shoppers didn’t get it either with just over 6,000 units sold last year, well below the projections of 20,000 units.

Honda’s announced there will be no replacement for the Hybrid version when the Accord is redone this fall, odd given the Altima and even Aura now compete with the Camry Hybrids.

This is not a driver’s car. The abiding dynamic characteristic is torque steer… it’s not sporty. Its damping is similar to base Audis; it makes for a comfortable ride, but the car doesn’t like quick bumps, and it wallows and complains when pushed. “A significant annoyance,” said Sherman, “is the throttle damper. Lift abruptly off the gas, and the throttle stays open for a second or three. You want to slow down, but the car doesn’t.” Many other testers echoed his complaints… To start the Passat, the driver must insert the key—a handsome little black-and-chrome wedge—into a slot in the dash and then push on it just so. It might sound easy, but it was often like trying to shove a pill down a dog’s throat… To own the last Passat was to announce that you were a little smarter, a little edgier, and a little more interesting than the guys in the Camrys and the Accords. This new Passat—a very good and, in our case, a very reliable family sedan—has lost some of that hard-to-define intrinsic value…The old Passat felt like ‘new luxury.’ It was special, beautifully trimmed, and overly loaded. This one would be lauded if it were a Ford family sedan, but it’s a sad drop from the Passat’s glory days. – Automobile