'New beginning' for C-Class 07 | 01 | 2013
MERCEDES' FOURTH-GENERATION of its C-Class will not only look more dramatic than the current model (pictured), but will also come with the latest in-car networked internet connectivity and cutting-edge safety tech.
The improvements are part of Mercedes' bid to make it more contemporary as it takes the challenge to the BMW 3-series.
Not scheduled to make its first appearance till the Geneva Motor Show in 2014, the new C-Class has been thoroughly re-engineered as Mercedes bids to attract new buyers.
In what is claimed to be a "new beginning" for the C-Class, it's understood nothing will be carried over from the existing model.
The newcomer will also be 100mm longer than the current C-Class, extending it to 4700mm, 75mm longer than the 3-series. An 80mm longer wheelbase accounts for much of the extension.
Mercedes has also ensured the new C-Class will look more squat and powerful by giving it a larger footprint with a 40mm wider track.
“We want once and for all to discard the idea that the C-Class is a car bought by your grandfather, ” a Stuttgart -based Mercedes official said.
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“We have gone to extensive lengths to ensure it will meet the expectations of a younger generation of buyers, both visually and technically.”
Codenamed W205, the next C-Class will sit above the smaller four-door CLA which joins the Mercedes line-up in the summer. The introduction of the CLA also allows Mercedes to shift the new C-class half a class higher.
While the saloon and estate will be the first models to be introduced in March 2014, a new coupe and all-new fabric-roofed cabriolet will follow in 2015.
Four-cylinder and V6 petrol units, ranging from a 184bhp 2.0-litre turbo to a range-topping 330bhp twin-turbo 3.0, will be included in the range.
It's understood the current 2.1-litre diesel engine will be available with four power outputs, ranging from 120bhp to 220bhp.
A range of efficiency-boosting measures, including automatic stop-start and brake energy recuperation, will also be included.
These, along with reduced kerbweight, will result in an improvement of up to 20g/km in CO2 emissions.
It's also expected Mercedes will unveil a plug-in petrol-electric hybrid version of the latest C-Class in 2015.
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Jim McGill