Mercedes-Benz New C-Class: New Attitude, New Technology

Motoring Channel Staff - 19/Jan/2006

Stuttgart, Germany —  With an all-new design that leaves behind the previous generations iconic 'twin oval' headlamps, and following an embarrassing pre-launch leak, Mercedes is showing off the new 2008 model C-Class for the first time.

Always a big event for the prestige German car maker, Mercedes has officially unveiled its volume selling bread and butter model, which takes it's design cues from the new S-Class saloon and CL-Class super coupe.

Pricing for the new models is expected to rise slightly along with the car's larger size and improved standard equipment, and will go on sale first in Europe March 2007.

Mercedes talks about a new era in safety, comfort and agility for drivers, offering a range of new technologies, some that have trickles down from the flagship S-Class. Adaptive braking was first seen on the S-Class and will now be offered on the new 2008 model C-Class, which adds features like hill assist (to stop you rolling backwards) and panic brake assist.

The new C-Class is also a fair bit bigger in almost every respect, which should improve rear seat room. With a length of 4581 millimeters, the Saloon (sedan) is 55 millimeters longer than its predecessor, while the car's width has increased by 42mm to 1770 millimeters, and the wheelbase has also increased by 45mm to 2760 millimeters, which should add even more sophistication to the car's ride. 

As well as the new look exterior, the car also benefits from improved 'agility'. Three features - Agility Control Steering, Agility Control Suspension and Agility Control Gearshift - are all new, and are grouped under a new 'Agility Control' banner. 

Agility Control Steering changes the steering ratio based on road speed so that less effort is needed to park the car when moving slowly, while Agility Control Suspension provides the car with variable rate damping, which changes the stiffness of the cars ride depending on whether its cruising in a straight line (softer) and accelerating through corners (harder).

The Agility Control Gearshift is only available with manual versions of the new C-Class range, and Mercedes hasn't really explained this one very well, so we assume it's just lighter components (fly-wheel, clutch, etc.) allowing for more precise and quicker gear shifts.

In addition to these advancements in the chassis and driveline areas, Mercedes-Benz will also offer an Advanced Agility package, which is essentially the sports pack, with stiffer variable suspension, a more direct steering ratio and improved throttle response.

German Design

Mercedes-Benz says the design of the new C-Class is based on the modern Mercedes idiom - which can be seen in the other next generation Mercs, such as theCL-Class coupe and the S-Class saloon - that uses a new style to reflect the technical superiority of its automobiles. 

The new 2008 C-Class, which is Mercedes biggest selling and because of this also one of it's most important models, gets a pronounced wedge-shape that serves to emphasise attributes such as agility and performance, according to theGerman marque. 

And for the first time in a Mercedes saloon, the radiator grille is used as a distinguishing feature to position the model variants more clearly, where the Avant Garde, Elegance, and Classis models all get different grille finishes to better differentiate models. 

If you are planning on buying one of these 'affordable' Mercedes and you desire a sports image, the 2008 model C-Class can be enhanced further with the AMG sports package, which includes striking front and rear aprons plus side skirts.

The side profile of the new C-Class is fairly similar to the superseded model, but with vertical cutoff points at the front and rear, which contributes to the car's modern appearance. There is also a bold character line that starts behind the front wheels and cuts along the cars doors, ending at the brake lights, and looks to be influenced by BMW's 'flame surfacing' design.

The headlights are one of the most obvious changes for the new model, with the a more integrated and angular design in lieu of the older and increasingly dated 'twin oval' headlamp design. We can expect to see this new trapezoidal headlight design in the next E-Class model before the end of the decade, which is now visible on the M-Class, G-Class, S-Class, and CL-Class models.

At the rear of the car, the brake lights appear to be stacked slightly lower than before, giving the car a slightly larger appearance from behind, while the flared wheel arches front and rear add a touch of sportiness to the new C-Class's elegant design. The 2-door C-Class coupe and Estate models will be unveiled later in the year.

German Engines

Though there are no radical developments in terms of the engines for the new 2008 C-Class, which is still dominated by supercharged 4-cylinder, naturally aspirated 6-cylinder and a range of diesel engines, a 7-speed automatic gearbox will be offered on 6-cylinder petrol engines. No official statement has been released on the AMG-tuned version of the new C-Class, but it is expected a super-sports model, possibly the C 63 AMG, will be launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2007, with V8 power.

The entire range of new C-Class models are rear-wheel drive (4WD is expected to be an option), and Mercedes claims that power in some engine types has been boosted by up to 13 percent.The power outputs for the 2008 C-Class model range (P= petrol, D= diesel) are as follows:

• 4-cylinder

  C180 Kompressor: 115kW (P)
  C200 Kompressor: 135kW (P)
  C 200 CDI: 100kW (D)
  C 220 CDI: 125kW (D)

• 6-cylinder

  C 230: 150kW (P)
  C 280: 170kW (P)
  C 350: 200kW (P)
  C 320 CDI: 165kW (D)

Mercedes-Benz says that it paid particular attention to further development of the 4-cylinder engines - which are the cheapest and hence the most popoular. In the petrol range, the output of the entry-level C 180 Kompressor has increased from the previous 105kW to 115kW, with maximum torque improved from 220 to 230Nm. 

The C 200 Kompressor develops 15kW more than before, for an output of 135kW and generates its maximum torque of 250Newton metres from 2800rpm. Mercedes explains that these modified engines considerably improve the performance and fuel consumption of the 4-cylinder models, claiming that when accelerating from standstill to 100km/h, the C 200 Kompressor is 0.5 seconds faster than its predecessor. Improvements in fuel consumption are equally impressive: the C 180 Kompressor consumes 0.3 litres per 100 kilometres less than before, while the combined fuel consumption of the C 200 Kompressor has been reduced by 0.5 litres per 100 kilometres.

Further development of the 4-cylinder units was also the main focus for the diesel engines. The engineers in Stuttgart have made further improvements to the engine, turbocharger and common-rail direct injection, modifying more than 90 components claims Mercedes. As a result of these measures the new C 200 CDI has eleven percent more output than the preceding model, with 100kW versus the previous 90kW. 

The C 220 CDI develops a peak output of 125kW (previously 110kW), and generates a whopping 400Newton metres of torque from 2000rpm, about 18 percent more twist than before. Fuel consumption has been reduced by up to 0.3 litres per 100 kilometres: in the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), the C 200 CDI and C 220 CDI are able to travel 100 kilometres on just 6.1 litres of fuel (6.1L/100km).

The modern V6-engines in the C-Class range remain unchanged, with the 2.5-litre C 230, the 3.0-litre C 280 and the 3.5-litre C 350 developing 150kW, 170kW and 200kW respectively.The only 6-cylinder turbo diesel engine in the range is the new C 320 CDI has an output of 165kW and an incredible 510Nm of torque. 

Transmission options for the Merc's new volume seller include manual and automatic gearboxes: all 4-cylinder models in the new C-Class are equipped with a 5-speed automatic transmission, whilst a 6-speed manual transmission featuring Agility Control gearshift is also available, while the petrol V6 range utilises the 7G-Tronic, which Mercedes claims is the world's only 7-speed automatic transmission.

German Safety

Mercedes is one of the auto industry's leaders when it comes to pioneering new safety systems, and the new C-Class will be offered with some of the marques newest and most advanced technology. Mercedes-Benz explains that, during the course of its development, the new C-Class successfully passed more than 100 crash tests, including the particularly demanding in-house impact tests of which some go well beyond the legal requirements.

As well as possessing a new and much stiffer and more protective body shell, 70 percent of which consists of ultra high-strength steel, seven airbags are included as standard equipment across the entire model range: 

2x airbags for the driver and front passenger
1x kneebag for the driver (ECE only)
2x sidebags in the front seat backrests
2x rear airbags

Other safety features that will be standard equipment for the new 2008 model Mercedes-Benz C-Class include seat belt tensioners and belt force limiters and Neck Pro head restraints that reduce the risk of a whiplash injury.

Mercedes-Benz has developed flashing brake lights as a major help in reducing rear-end collisions, and these are also standard equipment in the new C-Class. If the driver needs to brake hard at speeds in excess of 50km/h, the brake lights flash rapidly to warn drivers following behind.

As a cost option, Pre-Safe is another special feature of the new Mercedes saloon, a preventive occupant protection system linked to active safety systems such as ESP and Brake Assist, and is able to recognise critical driving manoeuvres at a very early stage. If the C-Class is in danger of crashing as a result of heavy under or oversteering, or if the driver needs to brake very heavily in a dangerous situation, Pre-Safe activates certain systems as a precaution to prepare the vehicle and its occupants for an impending accident.

The Intelligent Light System developed by Mercedes-Benz is also available in this C-Class for the first time, and consists of powerful bi-xenon headlamps that provide five different lighting functions suited to typical driving and weather conditions: 

Country mode
Motorway mode
Enhanced fog lamps
Active Light System
Cornering lights

German Interior

Mercedes describes the interior design of the new C-Class sedan as 'cast from a single mould'. When developing the cockpit, Mercedes designers took their lead from the sporty sector and included clearly laid-out dial instruments such as may be found in roadsters or coupés, said the company. With silver-coloured bezels, black dial faces, white markings and glowing orange needles, the new instrument panel has a high value impression and easy legibility.

Equally clearly laid out is the two-tone dashboard and centre console of the new C-Class, that are reminiscent of the S-Classes interior, only a bit smaller. There's a new integrated colour display that can slide in and out of its recess at the push of a button, adding a touch of techno-cool to the interior. It's located at the upper centre of the dashboard that is positioned within the driver’s line of vision.

Standard equipment such as the multifunction steering wheel is an important precondition for rapid access to a wide range of information and functions for the driver, according to Mercedes, while other functions such as infotainment are shown by the display at the centre of the dashboard. The driver and front passenger are able to control the radio, navigation system or telephone by using a controller on the centre console, much like BMW's iDrive and Audi's MMI all-in-one input systems.

One of the options for the C-Class include the multimedia system COMAND APS, which can be specified with a nationwide navigation system whose data are stored on a hard disc (30 gigabytes). High-resolution maps are shown on a colour display (7-inch) which pivots away and disappears beneath a cover at the touch of a button. Other functions of COMAND APS include a music server with a 4 gigabyte memory, a DVD-player for video and audio, and the LinguaTronic voice control system, which Mercedes-Benz has likewise improved further: the driver no longer needs to spell out the names of countries, towns or roads, but is able to speak them as whole words.

The 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will launched first in Europe in March 2007, and at the time of writing Mercedes-Benz Australia could not confirm a local release date, saying it will announce these in the coming months.

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