2014 Merc C-Class breaks cover
Sportier, feature-rich and with S-Class written all over it
The Fourth generation C-Class is slated to debut officially at the Detroit Motor Show as a 2014 model, but Mercedes-Benz has unveiled the car (codenamed W205) online already. The C-Class has been Merc’s best-selling car, with more than 2.4 million on the road across the globe, and the new generation is only expected to take the game forward. For the fourth generation, the compact luxury sedan gets a complete makeover with it now bearing a strong visual resemblance to the recently launched S-Class. All-new styling, a weight reduction of about 100kg and better, more efficient engines underline the new C-Class.
The headlights look a lot like those on the S-Class, while based on the information released by Mercedes-Benz it appears the C-Class will be available with two differently styled grilles. One design will look identical to the updated E-Class, bold and youthful with the three-pointed star sitting in the centre, while the other harks back to the old gun sight design where the Merc emblem sits on the hood, while the grille is an all-chrome unit. The hood is a longer affair, while the swooping roof looks similar to the CLA, making the car look like most new generation Mercs.
Mercedes claims the new styling is ‘a bold departure from its predecessor’, a bid to give the car a more upmarket feel. This feel is enhanced by the increased dimensions, as the new C-Class is 95mm longer and 40mm wider, while the wheelbase is longer by 80mm, freeing up considerable space on the inside compared to the outgoing version. It’s because Mercedes wants the CLA to take charge of the entry-level luxury segment, while the C-Class is now designated to take care of the upper compact luxury segment.
One of the highlights of the new C-Class is the optional AirMatic air suspension, a segment first. It will allow drivers to choose from four modes, ranging from Comfort to Sport+. The steering system is a speed-sensitive electro-mechanical unit, aimed at offering good feedback at all times. It also gets a lighter, sportier chassis with large scale use of aluminium (almost 50 per cent of the structure is now aluminium). The car is based on the new MRA (Mercedes Rear-drive Architecture) platform that will be the basis of the estate, coupé and AMG variants of the car as well as a new cabriolet version and 4Matic all-wheel drive models.
The next-gen C-Class will be available with a range of four-cylinder engines that are Euro 6 compliant, get start-stop as standard and offer up to 20 per cent more efficiency without a drop in power. The engines at launch will include a 2.1-litre BlueTEC diesel churning out 168bhp, a 1.6-litre petrol producing 154bhp and a 2.0-litre petrol delivering 181bhp. Soon after the launch the range will expand with more engines on offer, including a new 1.6-litre diesel developed with Renault that will produce 113bhp and 134bhp in two different states of tune.
Amongst others a V6 petrol is also on the cards, which should be the range topper. Petrol and diesel hybrids are also in the works, but these will come in only later. Transmissions will include a six-speed manual and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic. The interiors will sport an optional 8.4-inch colour monitor and an optional head-up display (another segment first), while the HMI (Human Machine Interface) will offer far better control through its rotary dial and a new touchpad. Reports reveal that most of the technological marvels the car is equipped with have been borrowed from the S-Class. Other highlights include two types of LED headlights and collision-sensing autonomous braking that springs into action at speeds between 8kmph and 200kmph. The new C-Class will be go on sale internationally in June 2014 and expect it to come to India by the latter half of 2014 by which time the CLA and GLA both should be well entrenched and raking in the volumes for M-B India.
