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The 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will fit each customer “like a tailor-made suit,” was what we were told by execs at the car's world premier in Stuttgart. How's that? Because the C-Class Sport and Luxury models will be decidedly differentiated from each other when the car goes on sale here in the U.S. in August.
Sport and Luxury models have been part of the lineup previously, but now the front ends of both cars are unique, as seen in these photos. The Luxury features extra chrome and grille slats, and an upright 3-pointed star on the hood while the Sport (which isn't just about looks — the suspension tuning is also a bit stiffer) has fewer grille slats and a huge M-B emblem on the grille.
The styling of both cars is all new, but not simply a miniaturized version of the new S-Class as originally thought. The crease below the door handles is there, but thankfully the big sedan's bulbous fenders did not make the cut. The front of the C-Class is a bit high and stubby, no doubt to adhere to pedestrian impact standards, but the car somehow still manages a 0.27 coefficient of drag.
But possibly the biggest news of all regarding the new C-Class is that Mercedes claims “it is the world's first production vehicle to be designed and developed based on a digital prototype (DPT).” Because of this, the first ready-to-drive prototypes were much closer to production levels than usual, though Mercedes still put the C-Class through the most comprehensive testing and development program in the company's history: prototypes logged more than 15 million miles.
The entry-level C300 will be powered by a 3.0-liter V-6 with 231 bhp, available in either Sport or Luxury forms. The Sport will come with a 6-speed manual or the 7-speed automatic that M-B calls 7G-Tronic, the latter the only way the C300 Luxury will come. The C350 and its 272-bhp 3.5-liter V-6 will come only in Sport form and only with the 7-speed automatic.
In 2008 we should see a C63 AMG version in North America, though don't expect the 500-plus-bhp as seen in the other versions of this rompingly-good normally aspirated engine. And DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche said that Mercedes' super-clean-burning 50-state-legal turbodiesel — called Bluetec — will make its way into the C-Class for 2008.
The interior has received a makeover as well, with the tightly-screwed-together feel expected of the marque. But the very-German, all-black center stack lacks the flair of cars such as the Lexus IS. But there is no doubt Mercedes spent a lot of time on the inside of the new C-Class, working with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to better control the way air moves to, and around, passengers.
Despite the C-Class being larger in virtually every dimension (and torsionally stiffer) than the car it replaces, and that it features seven standard airbags and the adaptive brake system of the S-Class, Mercedes claims the car's weight has remained the same. Of even greater value, the price will remain similar as well.
RoadandTrack Article
Sport and Luxury models have been part of the lineup previously, but now the front ends of both cars are unique, as seen in these photos. The Luxury features extra chrome and grille slats, and an upright 3-pointed star on the hood while the Sport (which isn't just about looks — the suspension tuning is also a bit stiffer) has fewer grille slats and a huge M-B emblem on the grille.
The styling of both cars is all new, but not simply a miniaturized version of the new S-Class as originally thought. The crease below the door handles is there, but thankfully the big sedan's bulbous fenders did not make the cut. The front of the C-Class is a bit high and stubby, no doubt to adhere to pedestrian impact standards, but the car somehow still manages a 0.27 coefficient of drag.
But possibly the biggest news of all regarding the new C-Class is that Mercedes claims “it is the world's first production vehicle to be designed and developed based on a digital prototype (DPT).” Because of this, the first ready-to-drive prototypes were much closer to production levels than usual, though Mercedes still put the C-Class through the most comprehensive testing and development program in the company's history: prototypes logged more than 15 million miles.
The entry-level C300 will be powered by a 3.0-liter V-6 with 231 bhp, available in either Sport or Luxury forms. The Sport will come with a 6-speed manual or the 7-speed automatic that M-B calls 7G-Tronic, the latter the only way the C300 Luxury will come. The C350 and its 272-bhp 3.5-liter V-6 will come only in Sport form and only with the 7-speed automatic.
In 2008 we should see a C63 AMG version in North America, though don't expect the 500-plus-bhp as seen in the other versions of this rompingly-good normally aspirated engine. And DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche said that Mercedes' super-clean-burning 50-state-legal turbodiesel — called Bluetec — will make its way into the C-Class for 2008.
The interior has received a makeover as well, with the tightly-screwed-together feel expected of the marque. But the very-German, all-black center stack lacks the flair of cars such as the Lexus IS. But there is no doubt Mercedes spent a lot of time on the inside of the new C-Class, working with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to better control the way air moves to, and around, passengers.
Despite the C-Class being larger in virtually every dimension (and torsionally stiffer) than the car it replaces, and that it features seven standard airbags and the adaptive brake system of the S-Class, Mercedes claims the car's weight has remained the same. Of even greater value, the price will remain similar as well.
RoadandTrack Article
