C-Class makes its Merc THE FIFTH GENERATION OF THE POPULAR SALOON MAKES BIGGER MODELS LOOK POINTLESS
THERE’S lots to say about this week’s test car. It’s the fifth generation of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
I went to the launch of the first car way back in 1993 in a time when the SUV was a niche product and fourdoor saloons like the C-Class ruled the roads.
Mercedes has sold 8.6 million of them since then, of which 2.5 million are of this car’s direct predecessor; a car that was launched in 2014.
Clearly the C-Class is still very important for Mercedes. Remember too that its floorpan underpins the GLC SUV as well.
The C-Class is available as an estate, as well as a coupe and convertible, both of which will be along later.
This car is new from the ground up. It’s grown by 65mm in length and 13mm in width, and has a wheelbase that’s 63mm longer. These numbers translate to an extra 21mm of legroom, 22mm of elbow room and 13mm of shoulder room in the back of the car. Clearly Mercedes has made passenger comfort the priority because the boot capacity is only 455 litres.
As cars get bigger, it makes you wonder whether you really need the next size up which, in the C-Class’s case, is the E-Class. In fact, the new C-Class makes me wonder whether there’s much point in the S-Class.
This thought dropped as I climbed into the C-Class for the first time and was presented with an interior that is every bit as impressive as that fitted to the recently launched S-Class.
Depending on the model and trim level, you get a 10.25in or 12.3in digital instrument display and a centrally mounted, portrait-orientated touchscreen either 9.5in or 11.9in across.
Much to my annoyance, there are few physical buttons as most functions are controlled via the touchscreen. For safety, it’s best to use Merc’s MBUX voice control which is better than it used to be but still sporadically
Mercedes-Benz C300e AMG Line four-door saloon Price: Engine: Fuel consumption: 0-62mph:
successful and regularly annoying. A new steering wheel contains a relatively neat collection of controls that are simple to use.
As with many Mercs the gearchange is on the steering column. Under the bonnet there’s a choice of two four-cylinder petrol engines and a single diesel engine.
No C-Class model will have more than four cylinders and that includes the high-performance AMG models which are in the pipeline.
Our test car is particularly interesting because it’s the C300e plug-in hybrid. What makes this one interesting is its EV range.
The new C-Class’s battery is 25.4kWh and that gives an official electric range of 62 miles. This is a bit of a game-changer because it means that most commutes will be achievable solely on electric power. A battery recharge can be done in 30 minutes.
Alongside the 127bhp electric motor is a 2.0-litre petrol engine that produces a total power output of 308bhp. The power is transmitted through a nine-speed automatic gearbox.
The C300e is fitted with air suspension as standard and this, combined with the relatively small 18in wheels on our AMG Line test car, provided a wonderfully smooth ride. The new C-Class is spectacularly refined and almost silent on the motorway. This is not a sports saloon and that’s fine because I’d rather have a bit of body roll than a ride that is uncomfortable.
Quick, quiet and very economical as long as you use it correctly (i.e charge its battery), the new C-Class makes spending lots more on a bigger vehicle seem pointless. We don’t have an exact price for our test car, but around £44,500 is a rough estimate. The estate version should be even better as it’ll have more space for luggage.
C-Class is new from the
ground up