As always, it is bigger than beforeBut, 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.
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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 getLike 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.
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No diesel model will be offered to North Americans upon the arrival of the new C-Class. |