Recently, for a bit of fun, we played around with BMW South Africa’s online configurator to see exactly how expensive we could make a base 318i (in manual), by adding all manner of options. And now we’ve decided to turn our attention to its main competitor, the entry-level Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Yes, we spent a little time on the Stuttgart-based automaker’s local configurator, speccing up a base C180. For the record, this derivative is powered by 1,6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. The basic price? R496 798…
Highlights of the standard features list include 17-inch alloys, seven airbags, climate control, tyre-pressure monitoring, automatic headlamps and rain-sensing wipers.
So, just how much could we add to the price in the form of options? A substantial R397 302, which takes the total for this particular build to R894 100 (plus R798 for CO2 emissions tax, which takes us to R894 898).
Take note, of course, that some packages and options can’t be specified in conjunction with others, so this exercise represents more than a mere tallying up of prices. In addition, we found that doggedly sticking with a manual gearbox meant we couldn’t add a handful of options, from ambient interior lighting (rather weirdly) and keyless go through to a few driver assistance functions (selecting these forces an upgrade to the 9G-tronic transmission).
We specced our C180 in “Diamond White” bright metallic (R20 000) and added 19-inch AMG multi-spoke alloys (R14 000). Inside, we opted for Cranberry Red/Black leather (R16 200), with a smattering of high-gloss brown wood trim (R4 600), plus some softer trim for the dashboard and door beltlines (R8 100).
Special kit we went for included a lane-tracking package (R12 600), the Airmatic “dynamic handling” package (R19 900), a parking package (R16 300) and the night package (R16 000), including heat-insulating dark-tinted glass. We also gleefully helped ourselves to a full electrically adjustable driver’s seat (R14 200).
Then, of course, we felt obliged to specify the AMG Sports Exterior (R26 800) and the AMG Sports Interior (R15 000). Next came the posh Burmester surround sound system (R11 600), climatised front seats (R19 500) and the full Comand Online system (R28 500).
Other big-money purchases included a head-up display (R16 700), LED “intelligent” headlamps (R21 900), a panoramic sunroof (R18 900) and a touchpad with controller (R21 000). You can see the rest of our chosen options in the full build here.
Think you can do better (and by better, we mean more expensive)? Check out our full build here and then head over to Mercedes-Benz SA’s configurator and try to make an even pricier, manual C180…
