Fleet World Workshop Tools
Car Tax Calculator
CO2 Calculator
Van Tax Calculator
BiK Rates Company Car Tax

First Drive: Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Does Mercedes-Benz’s latest C-Class rewrite the rules for the compact segment, asks Jonathan Musk…

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

SECTOR Compact Executive   PRICE £33,180-£49,816   FUEL 60.1-28.8mpg   CO2 123-223g/km

The brand’s bestseller accounts for a fifth of all Mercedes-Benz sold worldwide, with 417,000 units registered last year (saloon + estate) and 46,000 in the UK (all variants). The mid-life refresh for the fourth generation C-Class sees the car gain new petrol and diesel engines that aim to put it at the very top of fleet wish lists.

From the off, there’ll be a choice of two petrol engines – C 200 and C 300 – plus two diesel engines – C 200 d and C 220 d – for the saloon and estate variants. And a further mix of coupé C 200, C 300 and C 220 d model’s complement the cabriolet’s C 200 and C 220 d. 4MATIC all-wheel drive is optionally available on select models.

Kicking things off is the new 182bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol turbo, badged as C 200, and equipped with a 14bhp ‘EQ’ boost from a 48V mild-hybrid system. Designed to offer more torque on acceleration and in its most frugal guise, the engine achieves impressive combined fuel economy of 46.3mpg and CO2 as low as 136g/km. In practice a small gauge displays either the charge or use of the EQ power with a neat graphic and is unnoticeable in its function.

The petrol engine is also equipped with a particulate filter and electric water pump to further enhance its efficiency. With those performance figures, as one might guess, it drives like a 2.0-litre, but is slightly let down by unrefined undertones – at least in comparison to the range’s other new engines.

A new compact 2.0-litre diesel engine powers the C 200 d and C 220 d. The specs do the talking: 65.7mpg on the combined cycle – a 10% improvement over the previous model – and 113g/km CO2, thanks to increased outputs of 158bhp and 266lb.ft torque for the C 200 d, while the C 220 d gets an extra 33bhp to 191bhp and torque increase to a considerable 295lb.ft.

Consequently, the C 220 d’s fuel economy and CO2 figures aren’t quite as enticing as for the C 200 d, but performance is effortless with 0-60mph taking just seven seconds. Additionally, the C 200 d is the only car in the line-up to come with a six-speed manual as standard, while the rest get nine-speed automatics.

What the specs can’t tell you is that these new diesel engines are a big leap forward in refinement for the C-Class, with only the faintest murmur of a rattly growl at low-revs when cold.

Sharing the same design, a smaller 1.6-litre diesel unit has also been developed, though this will not initially be available in the UK.

Rounding out the range – and for the lucky few – the Mercedes-AMG C 43 4MATIC adds 23bhp and 32.5lb.ft torque to the tried, tested and fire-spitting 3.0-litre V6 biturbo powerplant. Available in saloon, estate, coupé and cabriolet versions, the tyre-shredding, 4.7-second 0-60mph-capable saloon variant starts from £49,675.

Engines aside, the new C-Class benefits from 50% of components having been changed, equating to more than 6,500 new parts. Chief amongst them is a subtly redesigned interior and exterior that sports new LED lights front and rear, while the grille and bumpers give the car a more assertive presence and differentiate between the models.

Three trim lines will be available: SE, Sport and AMG Line. Sensible additions have made it into the standard equipment list, including keyless entry and start. Inside the cabin, you’ll find a new steering wheel and a large 10.25-inch high-resolution display. Unfortunately, niceties such as augmented reality sat nav like that found in the new A-Class are missing.

Clever semi-autonomous tech includes adaptive cruise control that detects roundabouts and other obstacles, slowing the vehicle down accordingly. Of interest to fleets, a new ‘bump’ detection alert informs a driver that their C-Class has been knocked while parked, which could prove invaluable if needing to make a claim.

What we think

C-Class has always been a firm favourite in its segment and with the latest-generation of diesels and downsized petrol, plus sensible refinements with the latest technology, it remains an obvious and impressive choice.

For more of the latest industry news, click here.

Jonathan Musk

Jonathan turned to motoring journalism in 2013 having founded, edited and produced Autovolt - one of the UK's leading electric car publications. He has also written and produced books on both Ferrari and Hispano-Suiza, while working as an international graphic designer for the past 15 years. As the automotive industry moves towards electrification, Jonathan brings a near-unrivalled knowledge of EVs and hybrids to Fleet World Group.