27 December 2010
By Tim Pollard
Mercedes has facelifted the C-class - expect the new car in dealers in March 2011. It's a classic mild Merc facelift, with a cosmetic polish-up and a raft of more detailed engineering changes.
It looks like a subtle upgrade, but Merc says more than 2000 new components are fitted (the new C-class Coupe arrives later next spring).
How to spot the new Mercedes C-class (2011)
That front bumper is new, with hints of S- and E-class around the snout. The grille surround stands out more and the air intakes are recontoured too. The headlamps are new (soon-to-be mandatory day-running lights are standard) while the bonnet is now aluminium, saving weight and contributing to the new look.
It's a slippery shape; Merc quotes a 0.26 drag coefficient.
Start-stop now standard
Daimler claims efficiency gains of up to 31% in the new C-class, aided no doubt by the adoption of the seven-speed 7G-Tronic automatic transmission which now offers stop-start as standard. All the petrols are now direct injection:
C180 1.8 four-cylinder, 154bhp, 6.4L/100, 148g/km
C250 1.8 four-cylinder, 201bhp, 6.4L/100, 150g/km
C350 3.5 V6, 302bhp, 6.7L/100, 159g/km
There's a thorough workover inside, too. A high-definition colour display arrives from the E-class, giving the centre stack a more sophisticated air. Drowsiness detection systems are available, as is onboard internet access.
Roaming fingers will enjoy the new grain of the dashboard, and much of the swithcgear is now galvanised.
The C-class remains one of the most successful pillars in Merc's line-up. It's sold more than a million since launch in March 2007. Looking at the big picture, the numbers stack up even more impressively - Mercedes has moved 8.5 million compact execs since the first 190 in 1982.
Let us know what you think of the C-Class below
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