Mercedes Unveils Grown Up 2015 C-Class
Though the CLA has enough fans to merit a warning about supply shortages until after June of 2014, Mercedes-Benz still knows the C-Class is its bread and butter. As such, the automaker has unveiled their latest and greatest generation of the former “baby Benz” to the world.
The new C-Class is larger than the outgoing generation — adding 3 inches to the wheelbase, 3.7 inches in overall length, 1.6 inches in overall width, and a total of 17 cubic feet of trunk space — but is also 220 pounds lighter thanks to its hybrid aluminium body and other weight-saving tech. The sedan’s new nature-inspired styling provides a lower drag co-efficient and quieter interior.
In the United States, the C-Class will arrive in two models: The C300 4MATIC — powered by a 2-liter directly injected turbo-four pushing 235 horses and 273 pounds of torque through all four wheels — and the C400 4MATIC — powered by a 3-liter turbo V6 churning out 329 ponies and 354 pounds of stump-pulling power. Directing the power will be the automaker’s 7G-TRONIC PLUS seven-speed automatic transmission.
As far as technology is concerned, the CLA leesees will miss out on goodies such as the AIRMATIC air suspension — a first for the segment — which allows drivers to adjust their ride and handling through four presets and one personalized setting, adaptive braking, collision detection/prevention, lane-keeping, even attention assistance to keep you awake on long drives.
No price has been announced as of this time, though speculation states an announcement could occur as early as the upcoming Detroit Auto Show next month.
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Beautiful. Reminds me of a W211 E-Class, which IMHO is a good thing.
Looks like the top-of-line Hyundai from 10 years ago.
I can't remember a car that brought this many cranky old men out of the woodwork in a while. The get-off-my-lawn factor is very high, apparently.
The W205 C-Class is positively hideous, IMHO. My wife just snagged a 2014 C300 4MATIC and I'm glad she pulled the trigger now rather than later. I thought the CLA looked OK in pics but is quite frumpy in person, and the interior is horrible---cheap looking and the nav screen is a total afterthought....the same, it seems, goes for the new C. As the resident Merc mechanic, I'll tell you all that while quality has indeed *improved* since the early '00s, it ain't what it was pre-'95, and, sadly, ne'er will be. Good news for me however, is that now that everyone has gotten sick of the garbage which Mercedes has been producing for the past 20 years, they're all starting to pay good money for clean W123s and W126s, etc..because they realize those were the end of an era and are still perfectly safe, comfortable and usable cars.