The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has been reinvented seven years after its predecessor was introduced to the North American market.

The third-generation luxury sedan, unveiled Jan. 18 at a gala presentation in the German carmaker’s museum in Stuttgart, takes on a much more sportier slant than the model it replaces, with a contemporary new look, revised rear-wheel-drive underpinnings, and more powerful four-cylinder gasoline engines headlining a long list of developments Mercedes-Benz hopes will spur sales.

As a direct rival to the popular BMW 3 Series, the new four door already appears more competitive than today’s model, which was hampered by quality issues early in its model cycle before a facelift in 2003.

Mercedes-Benz regards the launch of the car as a new beginning and admits it is positioning the latest C-Class at a much younger audience than ever before—buyers’ average age having crept up steadily since it was originally introduced in 1993 as a replacement for the smaller 190.

When the 2008 C-Class, known under the internal codename W204, goes on sale here later this year prices are expected to rise 3 to 5 percent over the outgoing model, in keeping with higher levels of standard equipment and greater sophistication built into the new car.

Together with the sedan seen here officially for the first time, Mercedes-Benz is also finalizing a wagon version planned to head to North American in early 2008 after an unveiling at the Frankfurt motor show in September. Also underway is a follow up to the C-Class Sport Coupe, which will be assembled at Mercedes-Benz’s low-cost plant in Brazil next year, opening up the possibility of the two door making a return to North America.

As you can see, Mercedes-Benz has made a big break with the old C-Class visually, moving away from its softer forms towards a more technical look reminiscent of the larger S-Class.

The front is characterized by trapezoidal shaped headlamps in place of the outgoing model’s double round units, a wide grille to accentuate the new car’s added width and a clamshell hood designed to provide ample deformation to meet European pedestrian protection standards. There’s a deep line running from the front wheel arches all the way back to the triangular tail lamps, serving to break up the sheer surfaces along the flanks. At the rear, the trunk lid has become shorter but is mounted slightly higher, giving the new C-Class a notchback flavor.

The effect is a sportier appearance that is further enhanced on models running the top-of-the-line Avantgarde trim by a typical Mercedes-Benz coupe-like grille with an oversized three-pointed star—aimed at tempting traditional BMW 3 Series buyers to break ranks. By contrast, models with the base Classic and mid-range Elegance trim retain the traditional three-pointed star atop the hood.

The changes inside are equally radical. The dashboard is all new, with a contemporary design combining cues from the larger S-Class, together with new developments such as a high-mounted monitor that folds away when not in use. It works in combination with a rotary control placed between the front seats as well as a multi-function steering wheel. Increased body dimensions translate into added shoulder room and rear legroom and knee space. The trunk is also larger.

Seven airbags are standard; buyers can also add side airbags in the rear, and Mercedes-Benz’s Pre-Safe system as options.

To accommodate the new C-Class’s larger body, Mercedes-Benz has re-engineered its entry level sedan’s chassis. The new model rides on a longer wheelbase and tracks that have increased considerably. This larger footprint helps to improve weight distribution, shifting more of it rearwards than ever before, which should benefit handling and make it more entertaining to drive. Torsional stiffness is improved as well.

The suspension retains the same three-link MacPherson strut (front) and five link (rear) design but has been overhauled with new lightweight components, altered geometry and variable rate dampers. Mercedes-Benz dubs the new arrangement “agility control.” Further changes have been concentrated at the C-Class’s rack-and-pinion steering system, which now operates with a more direct 14.5:1 ratio—a 6 percent increase over its predecessor.

The global engine range is a strong combination of inline four and V6 units, the former upgraded with moderate gains in output together with lower fuel consumption and cleaner emissions, although as before the capacity doesn’t always match the model designation attach to the trunk.

On the gasoline side it begins with a supercharged 1.8-liter four developing 156 hp in the C180 Kompressor and a more powerful 184-hp in the C200 Kompressor. Above them are three carryover V6 engines: a 204-hp 2.6-liter in the C240; 231-hp 3.0-liter in the C280 and a 272-hp 3.5-liter in the range topping C350. The C320 will likely be the primary model sold in the U.S.

With the exception of the C350 which receives Mercedes-Benz’s seven-speed automatic, all new C-Class models come as standard with a six-speed manual gearbox. Buyers can order the seven-speed automatic on V6 models, with four-cylinder models getting an older five-speed unit on request.

Though not mentioned in materials Mercedes released, AutoWeek has confirmed the company is planning to launch a new C63 AMG model. The replacement for the C55 AMG runs a detuned version of the naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 found in all of AMG’s newer models, delivering around 450 hp.

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First Look: 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

More drama, more room

By Jason Kavanagh, Engineering Editor Email | Blog

Date posted: 01-19-2007

The 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class has finally made its debut, revealed in an elaborate presentation at the Mercedes-Benz museum in Stuttgart, Germany.

There might have been more drama involved than most observers realized, because the new C-Class is trying to fend off the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series, which have become the prestige cars in the category among younger drivers.

The 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class has adopted a far more dramatic look than its dowdy predecessor, and it's supported by a new, more spacious passenger cabin and a wider array of technology.

The third-generation C-Class (code-named "W204") will go on sale in the U.S. late this summer.

Look but don't touch
At this point, the only people to drive the 2008 C-Class wear Mercedes-Benz identification badges, but we were invited to get up as close as we wanted to the car as long as the engine wasn't running.

This is a slightly larger car than before, as the second-generation C-Class it replaces offers just 85.5 cubic feet of passenger volume, while the current Audi A4 affords 90.1 cubic feet of space and the BMW 3 Series has 93.0 cubic feet.

The wheelbase of the new Benz has been stretched and the track has been widened fractionally front and rear (though Mercedes won't yet provide us with the precise dimensions). The result is a wider car with a significant increase in rear legroom.

While our press colleagues scurried off to dinner with the rock stars of the Mercedes-Benz corporate hierarchy, we tried on the 2008 C-Class for size.

The interior is genuinely spacious in the rear, with plenty of room for 6-footers. This is a matter of some importance, because the C-Class is a popular choice for taxi companies in Germany, where 30 percent of production is sold.

Equipped for fast driving
Once it arrives on these shores, the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will be available in two different models. The C300 will have two levels of equipment, Sport and Elagance. The C350 will be available only as a Sport model.

The C300 will be equipped with the 24-valve DOHC 3.0-liter V6 featured in the current C280, where it delivers 228 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 221 pound-feet of torque at 2,700-5,000 rpm. In the new 2008 C300, Mercedes says this engine will produce 231 hp.

The C350 will have the 24-valve DOHC 3.5-liter V6 now seen in the current C350, where it produces 268 hp at 6,000 rpm and 258 lb-ft at 2,400-5,000 rpm. In the new 2008 C350, Mercedes tells us this engine will deliver 272 hp.

For transmission choices, the C300 Sport will have a short-throw, six-speed manual, while the C300 Elegance will feature the seven-speed automatic currently available in the present car. Meanwhile the C350 Sport will also have a seven-speed automatic.

More of the right stuff
The new car's suspension carries over the current C-Class' front MacPherson struts and a five-link independent rear suspension, but the components are lighter, which should improve both handling and ride comfort. In addition, Mercedes has equipped the new C-Class with variable-rate dampers as part of a suspension package it's calling "Agility Control." Quicker ratio steering is part of the package as well.

Mercedes has also brought the adaptive brake technology of the S-Class to the entry-level Benz, and we'll see if this proves to be a blessing or a curse. The system includes brake assist to improve response in critical situations, a mode that lightly skims water from the rotors in wet weather to improve brake action, and even start-off assist to help the car hold its position on steep hills.

Standard 17-inch wheels carry 45-series tires, while 18-inch wheels with 40-series tires will be available as an option.

Strong, new looks
The 2008 C-Class picks up many of the styling cues from the S-Class sedan, presenting a look we think is far more interesting. The blunt nose of the S-Class has been adopted, making the small sedan look far more serious. The crease along the car's flanks recalls the character line of the BMW 3 Series, while the back of the car makes us think of the Audi A4.

In Europe, there will be three exterior trim levels: Avantgarde, Elegance and Classic. The striking Avantgarde has a coupelike front end with a unique cover for the front bumper plus a three-louver grille with a large, centrally positioned Mercedes star. The Elegance and Classic trim levels have traditional upright grilles and wear the Mercedes star in the traditional spot on top of the nose, tall and proud.

There's also a new look for the interior, notably a vast expanse of plastic for the dashboard that's relieved by a two-tone color treatment. The instrumentation for the Sport models has a coupelike style treatment, with silver bezels, black dials and orange indicator needles.

The center stack of controls has been inspired by the S-Class and attempts to position frequently used functions within easy reach of the driver. A multifunction steering wheel with links to the instrumentation cluster will be standard equipment.

As you'd expect, the audio-navigation system offers more infotainment features, including a Bluetooth-compatible telephone connection, a 30-gigabyte hard disc for the navigation system that includes a music server with a 4-gigabyte memory, and a DVD player.

Strong, new engineering
Improved safety has been one of the primary goals of the redesign, so 70 percent of the 2008 C-Class' new body shell is built with high-strength steel. There's the usual complement of seven airbags, including curtain-type head protection bags that extend from the A- to C-pillar in a side impact.

The engineering process was expedited with extensive computer-modeling. Thomas Breitling, director of vehicle dynamics and active safety at Mercedes-Benz, told us that the company's "digital prototyping" ensured a faster attainment of quality during development.

Some of the benefit can be seen in the weight of the new car, as Thomas Weber, an engineering principal with DaimlerChrysler, told us that the weight of the new, larger car "has remained at the level of its predecessor."

Mercedes also went to some lengths to show us the kind of static testing that the C-Class design has endured, including a multipost dynamic rig that shakes the car as if it were being driven on a notorious stretch of pavement known as the Heide Road. Chassis prototypes endured the equivalent of 1,245 miles on this rig, the equivalent of 186,000 miles of real-world driving, according to Norbert Schaub, manager of endurance testing.

So far, so good
There was a lot of talk from the assembled executive brass and engineering principals about the handling prowess of the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Apparently all the digital geekery that has been invested in the new car's development has been able to improve its sporting ability without compromising ride comfort.

It remains to be seen if the new C-Class can in fact measure up to the standard set by the BMW 3 Series, which Mercedes frankly admits is the standard of measure. Perhaps it's possible, because there will be a Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and AMG's 500-hp 6.2-liter V8 will require something special to get its power on the ground.

The next step is the Geneva auto show, where the 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will be officially introduced and we'll finally be able to get behind the steering wheel and turn the ignition key.