Mercedes-Benz has launched the new C-class at Rs 40.90 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). Available only in C 200 petrol guise for now, while a diesel variant will be available in March 2015.
The new C-class uses a new design language, with a lot of the styling cues come from the flagship S-class. The face gets the twin-slat grille and there are the well-detailed LED headlamps. The rear too bears a striking resemblance to the S-class, and there’s a newly designed rear bumper, tail-lights and boot lid.
On the inside, Mercedes has provided a lot of features and equipment as standard in the new C-class. It comes with a high-res 8.4-inch screen that can be controlled by click wheel and also a touchpad, satellite navigation, LED ambient cabin lighting with three selectable colours, push-button start, panoramic sunroof and a 13-speaker Burmester audio system. You of course get the basics like three-zone auto climate control, rear-view camera and Bluetooth connectivity.
The new C-class is based on a new lightweight modular platform, called MRA (Mercedes Rear-drive Architecture). It gets the 2.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged petrol engine from the E-class; it produces 181bhp and 30.5kgm of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via the 7G-Tronic Plus seven-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox, which is an updated version of the previous car's gearbox.
With the new C-class, Mercedes looks to pip the BMW 3-series as the segment best-seller. It is the first of the new generation cars in this segment, and it'll be followed by the new Audi A4 and later on by the new Jaguar XE. For now, Mercedes will bring the new C-class to India as a CBU, but local production is expected to begin next year. The new Mercedes C-class diesel, when launched, is expected to be the more popular variant and rake in the sales numbers for the carmaker.