Mercedes-Benz is Drive Car of the Year in Australia

Receiving awards is not a surprise anymore for Mercedes-Benz. Apparently, the Stuttgart-based company is now being crowned once a week. This time, Mercedes-Benz C-Class has become the first car ever to twice score an outright victory in the Drive’s Car of the Year awards.

It’s almost as being the definition for excellence as you find it in the dictionary, so this award came as no surprise for the car manufacturer.

Recently, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the C 200 model, received another award as the car was crowned as the 2014 Drive Car of the Year. This latest-generation prestige sedan arrived in Australian showrooms in July and it is the most affordable version of the C-Class range with a starting price of $60,900. All the six expert judges were impressed by its overall refinement, driving dynamics, fuel consumption and class-leading safety.

What’s more interesting is that the C 200 beat the first fully electric car that reached the finals of Drive Car of the Year, Tesla Model S and another pair of very popular hatchbacks such as Mazda2 and Mazda3.

Mercedes-Benz C-Class was seen as the Best Luxury Car under $80,000, the Tesla Model S the Best Luxury Car over $80,000, while the Mazda2 is the Best City Car and Mazda 3 the Best Small Car.

“It looks every cent like a premium car. The C200 is a generation ahead of its rivals for refinement.”

The Drive Car of the Year prestigious award is considered among the most comprehensive and consumer-oriented automotive awards in Australia. The six expert judges have driven more than 200 new cars only this year and they tested the 42 finalists over four days in harsh driving conditions.

Drive Car of the Year finalists