Mercedes-Benz C-Class All-Terrain 2021 first drive

There's relatively urgent acceleration when you go looking for it, thanks in part to the quick-acting gearbox, which kicks down promptly under a heavy right foot. However, the small engine has to work hard to overcome the car’s 1720kg kerb weight. As a result, there's a lot of engine noise and a rather boomy exhaust on a loaded throttle during overtaking.

More serene qualities can be had at constant cruising speeds, where the more-than-adequate torque and tall gearbox ratios combine to deliver considerably calmer and more pleasing low-rev progress. The tall gearing also helps provide the car with competitive fuel economy in Eco mode, recording an average 41.5mpg on the WLTP combined test cycle.

The C-Class All-Terrain displays similar confidence-building dynamic qualities as other Mk5 C-Class models. The steering is wonderfully accurate, pointing with precision and excellent weighting while delivering proper feel and feedback. And the four-wheel drive system ensures that grip and traction in on-road driving always remain strong.

Mercedes’ decision to engineer the new C-Class without air suspension like that offered by its predecessor means the All-Terrain relies on traditional steel-sprung underpinnings, like all of its rivals. Despite the additional ride height, spring travel remains the same as the C-Class Estate, but the suspension features unique tuning aimed at providing greater comfort in both on- and off-road conditions.

The greater ground clearance contributes to a touch more vertical and lateral body movement, although this is noticeable only on undulating and winding roads, where you get some added pitch and greater roll angles than with the standard C-Class Estate when pushing along in Sport mode.

The ride, meanwhile, is nicely controlled. The steel-sprung suspension (with optional adaptive dampers fitted to our test car) is quick to iron out high-frequency bumps at lower speeds and provides excellent isolation of shock over broken bitumen at high speeds in Comfort mode.

It’s quite competent off-road, too: the greater ground clearance and the 4Matic system working in combination with the two dedicated Off-Road modes to provide impressive traction allow you to confidently tackle terrain that would wouldn’t consider in a rear-driven C-Class Estate.

The C200 All-Terrain is a rather mixed bag. Its mild-hybrid petrol engine is powerful enough to propel it along with a good turn of speed, but it lacks the sort of refinement in everyday driving that you might expect of a car wearing the three-pointed star. The dynamic qualities, on the other hand, are quite appealing, providing all the precision and control of Mercedes' more traditional mid-range estate, while delivering a good degree of off-road ability as well.