insideKENT Magazine Issue 32 - November 2014 | Page 131

These days, this is not the case. When we talk
about estate cars, the market for such vehicles
and the sort of people who desire one has
changed drastically and as a result, such cars
are far more stylishly fashioned.
The estate car has become much more of a
mainstream choice, a practical and versatile
mode of transport, catering for all sorts of very
sophisticated consumer needs. And, perhaps
there is no finer example of such a vehicle as
the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate we road
tested recently.
Boasting a brand new design, the C-Class Estate,
which offers a powered tailgate and roof rails,
sits on beautiful 17-inch alloys, and is underpinned
by the MRA platform, and is a seriously
handsome car.
Inside, the style and good looks continue in the
form of magnificently comfy heated sports seats,
surrounded by a beautiful array of shiny stuff. As
you would expect from such a high-quality motor

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company, the C-Class Estate interior houses
nothing but the finest technology crafted from
high-spec materials.
Within sensible reach, a funky and ergonomic
mouse controller is used for accessing and
controlling the in-car info and entertainment,
coupled with very intuitive menus that are not
only useful, but look fantastic too. The sound
system is wonderfully clear and loud, leaving the
biggest audiophiles happy on those long road
trips, while the excellent sat nav system makes
it easy to find out where you are, and detect
where you need to be. All buttons, dials and
switches inside the estate are easy to locate,
easy to use, and feel robust and reliable.
Despite this bountiful supply of equipment and
features, there is plenty of head and legroom in
the front and back, plus the C-Class Estate also
sports a very impressive boot, made bigger still
when the rear seats are flattened down to offer
a whopping 1,510 litres of space. The real beauty
of an estate car, this ensures it's great for stowing