Auto Express – August 20, 2019

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk SpecialIssue 13

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JamesBrodie

[email protected]

@jimmybrods

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MERCEDESisapplyingthefinishing

touchestoanall-newversionofits

biggest-sellingmodel,theC-Class.Thefifth-

generationcarwillbeoutintheopeninthe

next18monthswithasharpnewlookand

moreefficienthybridandplug-inpowertrains.

AlongsideMercedes’focusonbringing

10newpure-electricvehiclestomarketin

thenextthreeyears,theC-Classplaysan

equallysignificantroleintheGerman

firm’sfuture;thismodelaloneaccounts

for20percentofMercedes’globalsales.

Itwillberevealedinthelatterhalfofnext

year,beforearrivinginshowroomsin2021.

Thenewmodelwillcontinuetousethe

rear-wheel-driveMRAplatform,whichfirst

arrivedasthebasisofthecurrentC-Class,

yetseveralupdatestothearchitecture

arebeingdeveloped.Thewheelbasewill

growinlength,butmoreimportantlythe

underpinningsarebeingpreparedfor

anewpowertrainline-upthatwillbe

totallyelectrifiedacrosstheboard,be

itfourorsix-cylinder,petrolordiesel.

Mercedesintroduced48-volttechnology

totheC-Classrangewiththeexistingmodel.

BeneaththeskinofthelatestC200,a

1.5-litrefour-cylinderpetrolenginelinks

upwithanelectricallydrivenbeltstarter

generatorfedbyatinybattery.Thebelt

SHAKEDOWNTe sting of the new Mercedes C-Class is well under way, and our spies have seen

development vehicles already.It’sclear from these pictures that the model has an evolutionarylook

epares forevolution

EXCLUSIVE Extratechnologyand improved fuel

economy fornew C-Classasitchallenges 3Series

generatorenablestheenginetodeactivate

atcruisingspeedonthemotorwayfor

fuel-freecoasting,whileitcanalsoassist

thepetrolenginewithanadditional14bhp.

Thistechnologyislimitedtojustone

modelfornow,butitwillbeappliedtoeven

themostbasicversionsofthenextC-Class.

Itwillbeusedinaperformancecapacity,

too,withtheadditionofasix-cylinder

AMGC53modeltotheline-up.

Mercedeswillalsointroducenew

plug-inhybridvariantstotakeonthe

latestBMW330e(driveninIssue1,588).

Thenew3SeriesPHEVhasamaximum

rangeof41milesonbatterypoweralone,

plusafour-cylinderturbochargedpetrol

engine.Naturally,thenextplug-inversions

oftheC-Class–bothpetrolanddiesel

versionscouldappear–willmajoronnew

batterytechnologytounlockthepotential

ofupto50miles’rangeonelectricpower

andsignificantlyreducedCO 2 emissions

whenrunninginhybridmode.

Mercedesisalsoexpectedtoproducea

separateall-electricrivalforTesla’sModel

atalaterstage,usingauniqueplatform

developedforthefirm’sEQsub-brand.

OneareawherethenextC-Classwon’t

chasethe3Seriestoohardisindriving

dynamics;itwillremainacarthat’s

focusedfarmoreonpassengercomfort

andrefinement.Keytothiswillbethe

decisiontocontinueofferingtheC-Class

withoptionalairsuspension,something

thatisn’tavailableonitsBMW, Audi

A4orJaguarXErivals.

Semi-autonomousdrivingtechnology

willalsotakeabigstepforwardinthenew

Mercedes,withthedeploymentofa‘level-

three’driver-assistancefeature,whichis

duealsoonthenextS-Class.Suchaset-up

willpermitconditionalautonomy, andin

thecaseofthenextC-Classthiswillmean

thatthecariscapableoflookingafter

hands-offmotorwaydrivingatspeedsof

upto81mph.However,thedrivermust

remainreadytotakebackcontrol.

TheC-Class’sexteriordesignwillemulate

theplatformbybeinganevolutionofthe

currentcar’s.We’vepreviewedthesaloon

intheseexclusiveimages,butasever,

estate,coupéandcabrioletversions

ofthefifth-generationcarwillfollow.

Incontrast,thechangesinsidethenew

carwillbeprofound,withatotallyfresh

interiorarchitecture.Alargedisplaywill

dominatethecabin,stretchingfromthe

bottomofthecentreconsole,and

combiningthecentraldisplayandfully

digitalinstruments.Thesameset-upis

alsoduetoappearinthenextS-Class.

SPIED

“The C-Classwill remain

acar focused on comfort

and refinement rather

than performance”

NewMercedesC-Class NEWS