The exponential growth of the crossover / SUV genre has triggered a corresponding decline in the sedan segment, but an all-new Mercedes C-Class is still big news. The Stuttgart carmaker whipped the covers off the revamped W206 generation on Tuesday and says the compact sedan remains as integral to its line-up as it has always been.
Hybrid propulsion
The C-Class has chalked up 10.5 million global sales since 1982, and Dirk Fetzer, director of product management for C-Class, E-Class, S-Class and Maybach, says the latest model will continue to be a volume seller for the brand. Although the W206 carries over the basic platform from its W205 predecessor, C-Class chief engineer Christian Frueh says the entire package has been comprehensively re-engineered to accommodate new plug-in hybrid engines, as well as to substantially boost crash safety levels and cabin space.
Its more compact dimensions and shorter front and rear overhangs mean the new Mercedes C-Class looks sporty, rather than stately
Key to note is that the W206 C-Class will be offered solely with four-cylinder engines, as there will be no V6s or V8s, not even in the next-gen C63 AMG. That said, each motor gains supplementary electrified boost from either a mild hybrid or plug-in hybrid system, with the latter said to pump up outputs to V6 or even V8 levels. The downsizing to four-cylinder engines is partly to meet stringent new emissions regulations, as well as to enhance packaging efficiency and driving dynamics by reducing weight over the front axle.
The plug-in hybrid powertrains are said to offer an electric-only range of up to 100 kilometres, and an optional 55kW DC charger enables the 96-cell battery to be fully charged from empty in about 30 minutes. In addition, energy is recuperated whenever you’re decelerating or driving downhill, with the car’s onboard brain optimising the recuperation strategy based on the navigation data and topography for the planned route.
Sporty feel
Externally, the new C-Class looks much like a shrunken S-Class, although its more compact dimensions and shorter front and rear overhangs mean it looks sporty, rather than stately. Fetzer says this carries through to the driving feel of the car, with the C-Class leaning more towards agility and cornering capability than silken ride quality, which was the primary focus with its big brother.
The entry-level C180 goes from 0 to 100kph in 8.6 seconds, while the range-topping C300 goes from 0 to 100kph in 6.0 seconds and hits 250kph flat out
Mercedes boasts of a “dynamically reconfigured” suspension set-up that’s tuned for driving fun, especially when equipped with the optional continuously adjustable dampers and sport suspension. Air suspension at the rear is standard for the plug-in hybrid model because of the weight of the battery pack over the rear axle.
Also new to the C-Class is rear-axle steering (as per the latest S-Class), and this reduces the turning circle by 43 centimetres to 10.64 metres by steering the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the front at speeds of up to 60 kilometres per hour. At higher speeds, the rear wheels steer in the same direction as the front, which boosts stability, especially during fast lane-changes or evasive manoeuvres.
The new C-Class is slightly longer and wider (by 65 millimetres and 10mm respectively) than its predecessor, and the dimensional stretch has liberated more head and legroom in the rear, and more shoulder room in both front and rear. The added cabin space gives the newbie a slight edge over its Audi A4 archrival, so that’s a brownie point for the Merc.
Power output
Mercedes has for now announced a three-model line-up for the Middle East, comprising the C180, C200 and C300. The entry-level C180 has outputs of 170 horsepower and 250Nm from its 1.5-litre turbo engine, with its mild hybrid system kicking in an additional 20hp and 200Nm for short bursts.
This translates to a 0 to 100kph sprint in 8.6 seconds and top speed of 231kph. The range-topping (for now) C300 ekes out 258hp and 400Nm from its 2.0-litre turbo motor, with the mild hybrid adding the same boost as in the C180. This enables the C300 to sprint from 0 to 100kph in 6.0 seconds and hit 250kph flat out.
Mercedes isn't as yet making any announcements about the coming next-gen C63 AMG, but it's an open secret that it will ditch the existing twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 in favour of a 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid engine. The new C63's power output will reportedly still be well in excess of 500hp, but what's bound to be missing is the thunderous exhaust note that's such an appealing ingredient of the current model.
India cancels school-leaving examinations
MATCH INFO
RB Leipzig 2 (Klostermann 24', Schick 68')
Hertha Berlin 2 (Grujic 9', Piatek 82' pen)
Man of the match Matheus Cunha (Hertha Berlin
Jawan
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Sly%20Cooper%20and%20the%20Thievius%20Raccoonus
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDeveloper%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sucker%20Punch%20Productions%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPublisher%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Sony%20Computer%20Entertainment%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EConsole%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20PlayStation%202%20to%205%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%205%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
Sting & Shaggy
44/876
(Interscope)
Various Artists
Habibi Funk: An Eclectic Selection Of Music From The Arab World (Habibi Funk)
Match info
Huddersfield Town 0
Chelsea 3
Kante (34'), Jorginho (45' pen), Pedro (80')
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Fast%20X
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Louis%20Leterrier%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Vin%20Diesel%2C%20Michelle%20Rodriguez%2C%20Jason%20Statham%2C%20Tyrese%20Gibson%2C%20Ludacris%2C%20Jason%20Momoa%2C%20John%20Cena%2C%20Jordana%20Brewster%2C%20Nathalie%20Emmanuel%2C%20Sung%20Kang%2C%20Brie%20Larson%2C%20Helen%20Mirren%20and%20Charlize%20Theron%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
More on Quran memorisation:
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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Results
6.30pm: Mazrat Al Ruwayah – Group 2 (PA) $36,000 (Dirt) 1,600m, Winner: RB Money To Burn, Tadhg O’Shea (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) $68,000 (Turf) 2,410m, Winner: Star Safari, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
7.40pm: Meydan Trophy – Conditions (TB) $50,000 (T) 1,900m, Winner: Secret Protector, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
8.15pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round 2 - Group 2 (TB) $293,000 (D) 1,900m, Winner: Salute The Soldier, Adrie de Vries, Fawzi Nass
8.50pm: Al Rashidiya – Group 2 (TB) $163,000 (T) 1,800m, Winner: Zakouski, William Buick, Charlie Appleby
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) $65,000 (T) 1,000m, Winner: Motafaawit, Sam Hitchcock, Doug Watson
Company profile
Name: Thndr
Started: October 2020
Founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: FinTech
Initial investment: pre-seed of $800,000
Funding stage: series A; $20 million
Investors: Tiger Global, Beco Capital, Prosus Ventures, Y Combinator, Global Ventures, Abdul Latif Jameel, Endure Capital, 4DX Ventures, Plus VC, Rabacap and MSA Capital
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
The smuggler
Eldarir had arrived at JFK in January 2020 with three suitcases, containing goods he valued at $300, when he was directed to a search area.
Officers found 41 gold artefacts among the bags, including amulets from a funerary set which prepared the deceased for the afterlife.
Also found was a cartouche of a Ptolemaic king on a relief that was originally part of a royal building or temple.
The largest single group of items found in Eldarir’s cases were 400 shabtis, or figurines.
Khouli conviction
Khouli smuggled items into the US by making false declarations to customs about the country of origin and value of the items.
According to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, he provided “false provenances which stated that [two] Egyptian antiquities were part of a collection assembled by Khouli's father in Israel in the 1960s” when in fact “Khouli acquired the Egyptian antiquities from other dealers”.
He was sentenced to one year of probation, six months of home confinement and 200 hours of community service in 2012 after admitting buying and smuggling Egyptian antiquities, including coffins, funerary boats and limestone figures.
For sale
A number of other items said to come from the collection of Ezeldeen Taha Eldarir are currently or recently for sale.
Their provenance is described in near identical terms as the British Museum shabti: bought from Salahaddin Sirmali, "authenticated and appraised" by Hossen Rashed, then imported to the US in 1948.
- An Egyptian Mummy mask dating from 700BC-30BC, is on offer for £11,807 ($15,275) online by a seller in Mexico
- A coffin lid dating back to 664BC-332BC was offered for sale by a Colorado-based art dealer, with a starting price of $65,000
- A shabti that was on sale through a Chicago-based coin dealer, dating from 1567BC-1085BC, is up for $1,950
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
