As always, it is bigger than before
But, unlike most girth-enhanced recent automobiles, the C-Class has not put on the pounds. And, with power increases, reduced fuel consumption numbers of up to 6% and the addition of the 7G-Tronic automatic transmission, the C-Class has never been this competent. Actually, a few days before and after the first drive at the wheel of the new C-Class, I was motoring around town in the previous W203 C-Class generation.

The wheelbase has been stretched by 45 mm.

The first vast improvement for onboard passengers is the extra legroom, both front and back. This room is found thanks to expanded dimensions: 55 mm longer, 42 mm wider and with a 45 mm longer wheelbase. By comparison, the W204 C-Class feels roomy and spacious; the "A" pillars are a hand width away from the front passenger's head as opposed to a couple of fingers. Rear occupants also benefit from extra breathing space. Certainly, the new C-Class will not replace the family car, however your rear passengers will not feel as punished. To be fair, the Audi A4 and BMW 3-Series are no better.

New interior
The dashboard gets a serious once-over. The layout of the controls remains heavily inspired by the previous car but the presentation is very different. In most circumstances, the final result is pleasing and more functional; the gauges are larger and some switches are more accessible. If I had to be critical, and I will, my solitary disapproval is with the plastic selection where the audio and telephone; its matte-black finish is plain and distantly reminds me of materials found in some of the higher-end GM products. Save for my minute complaint, the remainder of the cabin is exquisitely detailed and beautifully assembled. The front seats are firm and ideally suited for long-distance travel.

The choices that we do not get
Like every good respectable European carmaker, Mercedes-Benz offers a huge range of engines for the new C-Class. In the gasoline-powered section, no fewer than four motors will be available ranging in sizes from a 1.8L 4-cylinder to a 3.5L V6. In the diesel category, three will be on the menu of which one will be a C 320 CDI (3.0L V6 turbo diesel) and a C 220 CDI that will eventually morph into a Bluetec. For the time being, North America will not see the color of petrodiesel in our C-Classes. At introduction, we Canadians will get a C 300 (228 hp 3.0L V6) and a C 350 (268 hp 3.5L V6). There are plans to bring a CDI or Bluetec model to our side of the Pond however nothing has yet been made official. Both powerplants will be mated to the widely-used 7G-Tronic 7-speed automatic transmission. In Europe, all models, save for the C 350, will receive a 6-speed manual transmission as standard fare. A 4MATIC AWD system is also in the pipeline. A few months following the late-August launch of the new C-Class, consumers will be able check the 4MATIC option box.

No diesel model will be offered to North Americans upon the arrival of the new C-Class.