Mercedes-Benz C-Class Review

Mercedes Benz C-Class Review

They say that first impressions are important, so it’s just as well that I delved a little deeper into the psyche of the new C-Class before considering my verdict.

From that you may gather that I wasn’t overly impressed with the new look; nor was I enamoured by the build quality or the ‘nano-technology’, paint-job. This is unusual for Mercedes-Benz and I can only assume that the robots were having an off-day.

But enough of that, what has changed? As is usually the case, the new C-Class is longer and wider than its predecessor by 55- and 42mm, respectively. The C-Class has never been short on interior space but an extra 40mm shoulder room, in the front, is always welcome.

The new front end is more wedge-shaped than before, with a wider front grille and deeper lower grille. The distinctive, peanut-shaped headlights have gone, to be replaced by larger and more angular illumination.

The Sport model is slightly different. It has a meaner look with a deep front skirt. It is also easier to differentiate the Sport from the SE and Elegance versions as it has the Mercedes-Benz ‘star’ logo set into the centre of the grille rather than perched on the bonnet. Of the three versions, the Sport lives up to its name, while the other two retain the more traditional values of executive elegance.

The wheel-arches are more pronounced and the tail lights are now, more rounded and they no longer extend upwards to follow the boot-line. Overall, the rear end is generally more angular than before.

Despite all that effort, anodyne is the word I would use to describe the new look. It lacks the characteristic styling of the previous model, which was a best-seller for the company, with over 1.4 million units sold, world-wide. But it’s the parts that you can’t see that will be the main selling point.

Mercedes Benz C-Class