THERE'S another safety driving event in town but for this one, you don't have to own a certain make of car or be a prospective buyer to join in. Organised by Mercedes-Benz, the C-Class Challenge is open to 700 members of the public who each reserved a spot by logging in to the German luxury carmaker's website.

The aim of the C-Class Challenge is simple - to allow as many people as possible to try the new C-Class compact sedan. From Sept 6 to 16, these 700 participants will weave around safety cones at the former Police Academy at Thomson Road to experience for themselves what Merc calls 'the attributes of the new C-Class: safety, comfort and agility'.

A team of Australian driving instructors will guide each participant in a C200 Kompressor around a course that has been set up for the ABS stop, Slalom, and Swerve and Stop exercises.

In the first, the driver accelerates before slamming hard on the brakes of the C200K to experience the anti-lock braking system. The second exercise emphasises the importance of steering wheel control as the C200K is manoeuvred around a set of cones, while the third exercise requires the driver to swerve around a series of cones and come to a complete stop to experience the car's ESP or electronic stability program.

The three exercises are then combined into one circuit and each participant timed. The one who goes through it fastest wins.

Mercedes-Benz has pushed the handling envelope with this fourth-generation C-Class. Earlier models were as exciting to drive as a houseboat with a broken rudder but the newest C-Class's dynamics are a revelation. Hence, Mercedes has subtitled the C-Class Challenge 'Agility At Your Command'.

But even as the car has become sportier, the quality of the traditional ride comfort has not been severely compromised. Cabin size has also increased and rear head and legroom is much improved.

As it is the entry-level saloon, Mercedes-Benz seems to have gone downmarket with this new model and opened up the field of prospective buyers to just about everyone. Whether or not this will reduce the allure of the three-pointed star remains to be seen.