Opinion – Eduardo Sodré: Previously national, Mercedes C-Class returns to Brazil imported from South Africa

Of the 11 million Mercedes C-Class produced in the world, 40 thousand run in Brazil. It is the brand’s best-selling model around here, and one of the best cars ever made in Brazil.

The period of national production ended a year ago, when the factory in Iracemápolis (interior of São Paulo) was closed. The unit was purchased by the Chinese Great Wall, which will start assembling its cars in 2023.

The sixth generation of the Mercedes sedan returns to the domestic market as imported. The first units will come from Germany and then from South Africa.

The brand promoted a presentation of the C300 AMG Line option, which costs R$ 399.9 thousand. The price may scare those who remember the amount charged a year ago, when the equivalent version was sold for R$ 319 thousand.

It is necessary, however, to consider the general soaring of vehicle prices, import costs and problems involving lack of parts and devaluation of the real.

But what really scares is the country’s lack of competitiveness when it comes to crossing borders. The automaker’s South African factory produced 650,000 fifth-generation C-Class units between 2014 and 2020. In addition to serving the domestic market, the cars were exported to 90 countries.

The Iracemápolis factory, on the other hand, never reached the maximum capacity of 20 thousand units per year. This number was reached only in December 2018, two years and eight months after the start of operations. The focus has always been on a struggling domestic market.

With the end of production, Brazil lost the chance to call national one of the most evolved sedans today, and which should receive electric versions soon. The generation gap is remarkable.

The new C-Class is closer to the E line in terms of luxury and construction quality, but preserves sportiness. It’s more refined and technological than before.

Digital displays dominate the entire panel, there is not a single analog display. There are even touch-sensitive surfaces where conventional buttons would make the most sense, such as on the electric mirror controls.

Cameras and sensors monitor the surrounding traffic. The C300 has an autonomous braking system that recognizes cars, cyclists and pedestrians.

The front grille is full of three-pointed stars and the rear has narrower and more elongated headlamps than before. The car grew 6.5 centimeters, but there was no significant gain in internal space.

There is a profusion of LEDs in the cabin, which can be combined into 300 light and color variations.

The 2.0 turbo gasoline engine that powers the C300 has 258 horsepower and 40.8 kgfm of torque. The lightweight hybrid system delivers an extra 27 horsepower and reduces gasoline consumption.

In a quick lap at the Haras Tuiuti race track (São Paulo countryside), it was possible to notice that the new C-Class distances itself from the brand’s smallest sedan, the A-Class. The new model treats occupants better, with suspension focused on comfort and low noise level.

Mercedes talks about an acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in 6s, and the electric motor of the hybrid system helps in this task.

In addition to the C300, Mercedes brings the C200 AMG Line version (BRL 350 thousand), with a 1.5 turbo engine and also equipped with a light hybrid system. If Brazil were competitive and an exporter of manufactured goods, Iracemápolis could continue to produce them.

Mercedes representatives say that manufacturing costs in Brazil were not very different from other factories – the C-Class is also produced in China and the United States.