This is the very first sighting of the 2008 Mercedes C-Class and although it's heavily disguised, the timing is significant - indicating the W204 (as it's known by its internal codename) is right on schedule.


The next generation C-Class will arrive in the 2007 calendar year, followed twelve months later by the wagon version. And although it's hard to tell from these pictures, the new C-Class is expected to be much sportier and no longer just a downsized S-Class, but a more modern Benz which hope to gain the attention of younger and less conservative buyers.

The rear-wheel-drive sedan will be the first powered with Benz' KDI EVT (electronic valvetrain without camshafts; supercharged and direct-injected) engines, and will incorporate other new technologies including the third-generation 4Matic all-wheel-drive system.

But as independent and modern as the new C-Class looks, it will be sharing even more component-wise with E- and S-Class models.

Published Date: 3/7/05
2006 MERCEDES-BENZ C350
ON SALE: June
BASE PRICE: $38,000 (est.)
POWERTRAIN: 3.5-liter, 268-hp, 258-lb-ft V6; rwd, seven-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 3410 lbs (est.)
0 TO 60 MPH: 6.1 seconds (mfr.)

The C-Class is the smallest sedan Mercedes-Benz sells in the United States (for now) but it’s also the biggest seller, so an argument could be made that it’s the most important vehicle in the portfolio. Mercedes sold 69,251 C-Class models last year in the States, accounting for 31 percent of the 221,610 vehicles sold here wearing the three-pointed star.

If you need more evidence, consider that the C-Class was all-new just four years ago, had an exterior freshening along with changes in suspension and steering last year and this year the car gets a serious powertrain upgrade. The top of the line models are now fitted with the company’s new 3.5-liter V6 and a new seven-speed automatic transmission.


The C350 will replace the C320 and will be available in Sport and Luxury trims. A standard seven-speed automatic transmission comes in the Luxury model while the 4Matic, awd version comes with a five-speed auto. The Sport package comes standard with a six-speed manual, while the seven-speed auto is optional.

The 3.5-liter V6 is same unit we first saw in the SLK released last year (AW, March 29, 2004). The engine uses variable cam timing for the 24 intake and exhaust valves, improving efficiency significantly from the 3.2-liter unit it replaces. While no official EPA figures are yet available, M-B says fuel efficiency is increased 12 percent despite the bigger displacement and improved output. The engine uses the latest in metallurgy, with the crankcase and cylinder heads made of aluminum; the pistons are iron-coated aluminum with steel connecting rods; and the cylinder liners are aluminum-silicone lined. The weight saving from conventional cast-iron liners is more than one pound per cylinder.


From this springs an engine producing 268 hp at 6000 rpm and 258 lb-ft of torque from 2400 to 5000 rpm. This output is up from 215 hp at 5700 rpm and 229 lb-ft at 3000 to 4600 revs. On our test drive, this stronger pulling power was quickly evident, and much appreciated. The old C320 sedan never felt slow, but you wouldn’t confuse it with a sports car either. That line seems to be blurring.

A 0 to 62 mph sprint takes just 6.4 seconds, 1.3 seconds quicker than the previous model. And because of the wide powerband, Mercedes says the seven-speed automatic-equipped C350 takes just 6.1 seconds to get from 35 to 75 mph. The automatic, outfitted with the latest electronics, quickly downshifts to keep the engine in the sweet spot, better utilizing all the available power. Steering-wheel-mounted shift buttons allow you to make your own gear changes, snapping them off nearly as quickly as you can press the buttons.


To ensure smooth operation, the engine has a balancer shaft running between the cylinder banks and rotating at the same speed but in the opposite direction of the forged crankshaft. Time was spent tuning the engine’s sounds by using a woven nylon material—rather than a smooth plastic—for the intake manifold (it absorbs sound, greatly reducing intake noise). Engineers also managed to give the exhaust note a pleasing performance rumble; not quite a muscle-car V8 sound, but a potent, satisfying noise nonetheless.

Prices for the new models will be released closer to the on-sale date in late June or early July, but Mercedes officials say prices should be similar to the outgoing models. More horsepower, greater torque and better fuel economy, at about the same price. There’s a formula anyone can appreciate.

Two years ahead of its planned UK introduction, Mercedes’ engineers have begun honing the next generation C-class in a bid to see it better the class benchmark, the new BMW 3-series. Along with the four-door saloon, the new car’s platform will be used underneath a five-door estate, the three-door Sports Coupé, CLK coupé and cabriolets, and the X-class, a compact 4x4 rival for the BMW X3.

Our computer-generated rendering reveals the C-class’s sharp new appearance. It borrows styling cues from the next S-class, due this September, with tauter surfacing, greater flaring of the wheelarches and prominent swage lines. The headlamps switch from today’s double-rounded form to a trapezoidal shape, while the tail lamps take on a more dynamic form.

The car will ride on a newly developed chassis with a longer wheelbase and widened tracks. The four-link (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension will continue, but with altered pick-up points, revised geometry and increased travel. It is allied to a stiffer body shell and redesigned platform structure – both using laser welding techniques for greater strength and tighter production tolerances.

However, Mercedes-Benz’s AirMatic air suspension and Active Body Control have been ruled out on cost grounds, as has the troubled Sensotronic brake control which will be replaced by a fully hydraulic system.

Direct injection will be made standard across Mercedes-Benz’s four-cylinder M271 engine family for increased output and improved fuel consumption. All of the new C-class’s four-cylinder engines will have the same 1.8-litre capacity but will be offered with 150bhp, 170bhp and turbocharged 190bhp outputs.

Stuttgart’s new M272 naturally-aspirated 24-valve V6 engine family will supply 204bhp 2.5-, 231bhp 3.0- and 272bhp 3.5-litre powerplants for the C-class. At the top of the line-up will be an AMG flagship, expected to retain the existing car’s 5.4-litre V8, but with a power output up from today’s 367bhp to around 410bhp.

Work is also well advanced on a redesigned 2.2-litre four-cylinder common-rail diesel. This should remain in the line-up for at least three years, enhanced by the incorporation of efficient piezo fuel injectors boosting power by 13bhp to 163bhp.

The 3.0-litre V6 diesel will be offered in two different states of tune: 190bhp and 224bhp. Also under development is a performance-oriented version of this engine with three turbochargers and claimed to deliver 286bhp along with a hefty 467lb ft. It could be sold under the AMG name.

The new car retains rear-wheel drive, a six-speed manual gearbox as standard and a seven-speed automatic as an option across the range. Mercedes-Benz’s 4Matic four-wheel-drive system will also be available, on C350 and C320 CDI models only, though there’s no word yet on whether it will be offered in the UK.

Inside, there will be new cabin architecture, improved quality and a longer list of optional features. The dashboard design centres around a new rotary controller that’s set to make its debut in the next S-class. Mercedes’ answer to BMW’s iDrive and Audi’s MMI system operates in tandem with a new multi-function steering wheel that’s likely to be standard across the range. Options will include high-intensity air conditioning, Keyless Go, Distronic cruise control and dynamic seats.

Mercedes-Benz has also been working on improving the driving position of its new models. After feedback provided by Autocar, Mercedes Research and Technology board member Dr Thomas Weber has committed to improving the driving position in some right-hand-drive Mercedes, after problems with an uncomfortable driving position caused by pedals offset to the right and a steering wheel offset to the left. Weber assured Autocar that ‘the problem will not be there in future models.’