New Mercedes-Benz C Class To Be Introduced

Anthony Fontanelle
June 22, 2007

German car manufacturer Mercedes-Benz has been known for luxury vehicles. But the company is currently focusing its efforts in the introduction of an entry-level luxury car. The C Class is the carmaker’s entry to the said segment against the entries of fellow European, Japanese and American car manufacturers.

For the 2008 model year, the Mercedes-Benz C Class will be making its appearance in showrooms in late summer. The said luxury car is Mercedes-Benz’s least expensive car next to the A Class. With the C Class, Mercedes-Benz hopes to increase their buyer base. The C Class is also known as the next selling car in the brand’s lineup and its redesign for the 2008 model year can promote the brand among new car buyers.

The C Class closely resembles its upscale sibling, the Mercedes-Benz S Class. The use of similar design cues has made the C Class a favorite among car buyers who are looking for the prestige of owning a Mercedes-Benz but without shelling out a huge sum of money. The similarity between the C Class and the S Class is similar to the way Volvo redesigned its S40 to look similar to the upscale S80.

Making the C Class resemble the S Class is the main objective of Mercedes-Benz for the 2008 model year version of the former. To make this possible, the C Class was made longer and wider than its predecessor. According to Mercedes-Benz, the length of the C Class was increased by 9.5 centimeters and widened by almost five centimeters.

The adjustments in the length and width of the C Class give it occupants more legroom. This is a welcome change since one of the most notable problems with the previous C Class is its lack of legroom for tall persons. To complement the increase in length and width of the luxury car, the door opening was also made wider making entry and exit for passengers easier.

Inside the vehicle, changes have also been made. A new instrument panel is the most notable difference between the new and old C Class. A 13-centimeter screen is now part of and comes with the center control panel. A dial which controls different functions is also a part of the new instrumentations inside the C Class. Other accessories such as the Mercedes-Benz floor mats are still of high quality.

Car buyers can expect three different versions of the new C Class. According to Mercedes-Benz, these are the C300 Luxury, C300 Sport and the C350 Sport. The C300 models will be equipped with a 3.0-liter V6 engine with a capacity of producing 228 horsepower. The C350 variant of the C Class will come with a 3.5-liter V6 with a power output of 268 hp. Both engines are the same used by the 2007 Mercedes-Benz C Class and are known for delivering torque at low revs.

For the V6 engine of the C300 Sport, a six-speed manual transmission is offered. This is an obvious choice for performance-oriented drivers. For the C300 Luxury and the C350 Sport, the standard gearbox is a seven-speed automatic transmission.

The Mercedes-Benz C Class will be battling it out in the market with Japanese luxury cars like the Acura TSX and TL, and the Lexus ES and IS. Its European competition includes the Audi A3 and A4, the BMW 3 Series and the Jaguar X-Type. Its American competitors include the Cadillac CTS and BLS, and the Lincoln Zephyr and the MKZ.

Source:  Amazines.com