Mercedes-Benz recently revealed the latest iteration of its volume-winner, the C-Class, at an international press event in Tenerife. The new car ushers in a vastly improved cabin, some styling tweaks and a host of fuel-efficient, direct-injection powerplants…
A choice of seven engines, comprising four petrol units and three diesels, will find their way into the latest C-Class when it arrives here in mid-July. Power outputs will range from 100 kW in the C200 CDI to 225 kW in the current range-topper; the C350. All units now feature the company’s BlueEfficiency technologies, which help lower both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The petrol units are further augmented by direct fuel-injection technology. Four-cylinder models, with the exception of the C250 CGI and its CDI stable mate, will be offered with a choice of six-speed manual and 7G-Tronic automatic transmissions.
In terms of exterior design, the new car’s frontal aspect is centered around a V-shaped central air intake, which is again echoed by the bumper moulding to give the car a more sporty, aggressive look. The headlamps have also been re-styled to more closely resemble those the company’s new CLS model and, in the case of the optional bi-xenon units, feature a C-shaped LED element alongside the high beams. The tail-lamp clusters also feature re-styled LED elements and a mild re-shape to accentuate the car’s width.
The most noticeable change in the cabin is the adoption of a far more upmarket-looking facia design that echoes the tiered design first seen in the current-generation S-Class. Mercedes has also paid attention to the quality of the cabin materials and upped its game for the latest model, while the optional hi-res colour information display in the instrument cluster adds to the premium air.
The new C-Class also ushers in an uprated array of safety features, which include Adaptive High beam Assist, Active Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist, Attention Assist, Distronic Plus, Speed Limit Assist, Pre-Safe Brake, Lane Keeping Assist and Blind Spot Assist.
Improvements have also been made to the car’s telematics, with new features such as larger displays, telephone directory transfer and display of SMS messages, wireless music reproduction via Bluetooth and a USB interface now accommodated in the centre armrest.
Look out for a driving impression of the new Mercedes-Benz C-Class in the May 2011 issue of CAR.