It looks like a baby S-Class and initially comes in one variant — the mild hybrid C 180 Avantgarde with a retail price of Php 3,890,000.
It’s the fifth-generation Mercedes-Benz C-Class, one of Stuttgart’s most important models and one that has been thoroughly redesigned to elevate the benchmark in luxury compact sedans.
“The C-Class has raised the bar of the luxury compact executive sedans. It’s where modern luxury meets driving dynamics, human-centered innovations, and all that in a good-looking form that you would fall in love with, once again,’’ says Frankie Ang, Chief Operating Officer at Auto Nation Group, Inc.
The new C-Class carries the new design language that was first introduced with the flagship all-new S-Class – from the exterior styling, headlamp and taillamp design, all the way to the flowing, seamless, and extensively digitized interior. These were all carried over to the compact sedan segment, wherein the new C-Class can bring all these luxurious touches to a wider market, thus making the new C-Class a “baby S” in more than just aesthetics.
The new C-Class blends sportiness and luxury in a contemporary form. Minimalist lines meet extensively sculpted surfaces and dynamic body proportions with sporty design elements.
The car has grown substantially compared to its predecessor, with a wheelbase longer by 25mm, overall length by 65mm, width by 45mm, and ground clearance by 7mm. These contribute to the overall space inside the cabin and further improve both riding comfort and driving dynamics. The AVANTGARDE exterior features a single-louver grille that accentuates the prominent Mercedes-Benz star. Its LED High Performance headlamps with daytime running lights are made sleeker. Pronounced powerdomes on the hood also give a sporty and masculine character.
From the side, it is notably longer than the predecessor, and with a sleeker coupe-like design, topped with 18-inch multi-spoke light alloy wheels and run-flat tires.
The rear is a familiar sight since it now features two-section taillights which are also found on the E-Class and S-Class. These lights have full-LED technology and a design that makes the car appear bolder and wider.
Getting inside the cabin of the new C-Class feels like stepping into a smaller-scale S-Class. Its flowing forms and refined materials raise the modern luxury of its interior to a new level.
The refreshed operating and display concept, which relies on digitization, also contributes to this. The 11.9” floating central display touchscreen is loaded with features and is also slightly inclined towards the driver to make it easier to read and operate. The 10.25” free-standing full digital instrument display can be customized to suit your preference, such as Classic, Sport, and Understated. It can also show you driver assistance menus.
The new C-Class is also equipped with the latest generation NTG7 MBUX multimedia system that now gets more connectivity features and a “Hey Mercedes“ voice command system. The driver can also operate the MBUX in the multifunction steering wheel via touch control buttons and can easily connect smartphones wirelessly via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The new C-Class offers generous space with greater legroom and headroom. The seats are electrically adjustable for the driver and passenger with capacitive touch switches. They also have 4-way lumbar support to adjust the seat contour to your lumbar area, improving long-distance comfort.
The latest C-Class features 64-color mood lighting that helps create the right ambience. It’s also equipped with THERMATIC dual-zone automatic climate control, where it can be set easily with the temperature and ventilation controls found on the central display. This also have an activated charcoal filter to remove dust and reduce harmful chemicals and substances from the cabin.
The new C-Class comes with a standard seven airbags, with two-stage deployment for driver and passenger airbags, side bags, window bags, and knee bag for the driver. The car is also equipped with Blind Spot Assist to keep the driver informed of the surroundings. The system alerts you when a vehicle enters a blind spot and sends a signal to avoid a possible collision. The C-Class has numerous driver-assistance systems such as the Active Brake Assist, Active Parking Assist, 12 ultrasonic sensors in the front and rear, Reversing Camera, and ATTENTION ASSIST.
The all-new C-Class has a 1.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine that produces 170hp and 250Nm of torque. It also comes with an electrified drivetrain with EQ boost mild-hybrid technology. Mercedes-Benz’s advanced technology is also electrifying the compact sedan segment with its 2nd-generation mild-hybrid system introduced in the flagship S-Class last year.
The Integrated Starter Generator and 48-volt power supply supports the engine by providing up to 15kW of additional power and up to 200Nm more torque. This is particularly noticeable during acceleration, while maintaining low fuel consumption.
Power is delivered to the rear wheels by the 9G-TRONIC automatic transmission.
Some features from higher-end Mercedes-Benz models are kept like the DYNAMIC SELECT, which lets you choose between a sporty or comfortable drive by tweaking the engine, suspension, and steering settings of the car.
The new C-Class is now available for viewing at all Mercedes-Benz showrooms at Bonifacio Global City, Edsa Greenhills, Alabang, and Cebu City. Visit www.mercedes-benz.ph to know more about the new C-Class.