Absolutely purrfect

The slinky Mercedes C200 Kompressor creeps like a cat, is eco-friendly and economical.

Does it come as a shock to anyone that the 2006 C200 Kompressor Mercedes is perfect in every respect?

I seriously doubt so - Mercedes proudly states its goal is the pursuit of excellence and it comes very, very close.

The 4-cylinder, 1.8-litre Kompressor engine gives a sublime performance, like attending a gala performance by the Vienna Imperial Orchestra.

Every part does its specific task, resulting in a holistic synergy that transcends the sum of the individual parts.

At its heart lies the Kompressor - German for super-charger - which is a forced induction system that compresses the air entering the engine, so that more of it can fit into the piston chamber.

Compressed and mixed with fuel, the higher volume of air produces a more powerful explosion and, therefore, more power is produced.

In scientific terms, typical super-charger boost would be in the 6-8 psi range, and added to a sea level atmospheric pressure of 14.7 psi this would result in an almost 50 per cent increase in power.

Super-charger smarts

This is very smart thinking, as increasing the intake of air as opposed to pushing in more petrol is an economical and environmentally-friendly way of improving an engine's performance.

Sucking in more air not only assures a 50 per cent increase in power (in theory; in practice, it's probably about 40 per cent) but it also means you need less fuel to maintain a required output of, say, 120 kph on the highway.

The C-Class champions an ecologically sound path that includes CFC-free manufacturing, low-consumption and low-emission engines, use of recyclable products and thus a reduced environmental impact.

At the same time, you can eat your cake too - as performance is excellent.

In fact, the C200 does not feel like a 4-cylinder, but accelerates and cruises effortlessly in the comparable range of most 6-cylinder cars: 0-100 kph in less than 10 seconds (9.1 to be exact), maximum speed of 234 kph, generating 163 HP at 5500 rpm, and 240 Nm torque at 3000 rpm.

And over a two-day test drive in all conditions, I couldn't get the fuel tank indicator below the three-quarter mark!

Besides the mechanical marvel of the engine, Mercedes has equipped what is one of its 'small' models with standard features found in its big brothers. Passenger and driver comfort is excellent, and five adults can sit comfortably even on long trips.

The dash is intelligently organised and the commands are crisp and accessible. The 'basic' model can hardly be considered that.

Choose and cruise

Cruise control is a welcome feature; this can operate at low speeds and is very easy to engage with a well-placed lever to the left of the steering wheel. Not only does it enable you to set the speed you wish to maintain, but you can also set a maximum speed so you don't accidentally over-shoot it - a handy feature, I thought.

Safety features are excellent, starting with the red fire extinguisher placed at the front below the driver's seat. Shouldn't every vehicle have one straight from the factory? Next we should expect a handy first aid kit.

Airbags are everywhere - front and sides for the driver and front passenger and even windowbags for both front and rear passengers. Rear sidebags are an optional feature.

In the event of an accident, all occupants will be cushioned in all directions: a comforting thought. In addition, the seatbelts come with tensioners with belt force limiters, while an ISOFIX child seat attachment system is optional.

Of particular note is the Electronic Stability Control - which maintains optimum settings for the suspension and helps avoid any loss of traction - and the now-standard intelligent braking control, which Mercedes calls Brake Assist.

I particularly liked the softness in the accelerator pedal when starting off; it is set so that a light touch makes the car crawl forward - a lovely feature in traffic and it really prevents that on-off, go-stop feel typical of many automatic transmissions.

The rear seat head-rests can be lowered with the touch of a button and the climate control system allows for separate settings for driver and passenger. Optional parking sensors give distance information as well as beeps both for front and rear.

In short, everything has been thought through carefully and the result is complete efficiency.

The build and assembly seem flawless, and I expect this quality to endure the test of time.

This is not the kind of vehicle where after a few years you need to get accustomed to rattles and squeaks or find you have to thump the glove box twice to get it to open, or bump the boot with your hip exactly four inches right of the handle to get it closed properly - not with this car, sorry.

You click the button, and the little clog in the machine will whirr and it will do its job again and again and again flawlessly.

And that word, flawless, wraps up the C200 Kompressor - it is a flawless machine, well-designed, well-engineered and well-manufactured.

Add to this the legendary Mercedes reputation of after-sales service and overall reliability, and you have an economical yet powerful vehicle to transport you and your loved ones in complete safety and comfort. Flawlessly.