2021 Mercedes C-Class Sedan. 5th generation
The Israeli market now offers two modifications of the new Mercedes C-Class: C 180 and C 300 (as of August 2021).
The Mercedes C-Class is a series of compact luxury cars manufactured by Mercedes-Benz (Germany) since 1993 in sedan, estate, 3-door hatchback, coupe and convertible bodies. In 2021, the manufacturer released the fifth generation of the popular car, presented in Israel as a sedan.
Despite the growing demand for SUVs and cross-coupes, the C-Class sedan remains popular. A total of 2.5 million of the fourth generation cars were sold. The compact C-Class cars are still important for the manufacturer. Therefore, the new Mercedes C-Class was tailored according to the same patterns as the fresh S-Class on the same modular MRA platform. And now it even more began to resemble a smaller copy of the older models of the E- and S-Class models.
Bodywork
The new Mercedes C-Class sedan, built on a new platform, has become larger. It is 4,751 mm long (65 mm longer), 1,820 mm wide (10 mm wider) and 1,438 mm high (9 mm lower), with a wheel base of 2,865 mm (25 mm larger). It has retained the classic layout, has a familiar silhouette, but its exterior contains recognizable features of the E- and S-Class models: tapered raised headlights, taillights with additional sections on the trunk lid. The drag coefficient of the sedan is quite good: 0.24. The volume of the trunk compartment is 455 liters (versus 300 liters of the previous generation model).
The proportion of aluminum in the structure is lower than that of the S-Class, with the preference being given to cheaper steel. The sedan features a classic double wishbone suspension at the front and a multi-link suspension at the rear. For a surcharge, you can install adaptive shock absorbers or a sports chassis, but the air suspension is no longer there (it remained only on the rear axle and only in rechargeable hybrids). But for the first time, the C-class has a fully steered chassis! However, it is still an option, and it is arranged simpler than that of the S-Class: the rear wheels turn at an angle of only 2.5 degrees (10 degrees for the S-Class). Up to 60 km/h, they deflect in the opposite direction to the front wheels, improving maneuverability and reducing the turning radius by 43 cm. Above 60 km/h, they turn towards the front wheels, increasing stability in high-speed turns. A different steering rack is offered for the full steering chassis: the steering wheel makes 2.1 lock-to-lock turns instead of 2.3 for the standard version.
Interior and equipment
The interior has also become roomier. The distance between the rows has increased by 21 mm, the headroom of the rear passengers has grown by an additional 13 mm, and the front and rear shoulder-room has increased by 26 and 13 mm, respectively. Contour lighting is included in the standard equipment. For a surcharge, you can order the front vibrating massage seats, featuring eight separate pneumatic chambers in the backs, as well as 4-zone climate control.
The new Mercedes C-Class can upgrade its equipment over-the-air, has a fingerprint scanner for unlocking, supports online music and ‘draws’ various prompts on the roadway.
The 2021 °C-Class Sedan is inspired by the avant-garde spirit of the S-Class, which clearly adds a huge number of points to the car, especially against the background of competitors. There are separate virtual devices with a 10.25-inch or 12.3-inch screen (optional), a large vertical tablet of the MBUX media system, slightly turned towards the driver, with a diagonal of 9.5 or 11.9 inches. A head-up display can be installed as an option. The car features a new steering wheel, a different design of door panels and a large number of new functions: a fingerprint scanner for unlocking (yes, the new Mercedes C-class is now almost like your smartphone), updates can be downloaded remotely, you can connect online music, organize a ‘mobile office “or connect to a “smart home”.
The new C-Class will receive a full range of electronic assistants, including adaptive cruise control. The lane keeping assist system now works at speeds up to 210 km/h. For a surcharge, the basic equipment includes LED optics, matrix headlights, which will be able to ‘draw’ tips on the roadway.
Engines and modifications
At the start of sales, buyers will be offered three petrol, two diesel and two hybrid versions.
According to the manufacturer, only 4-cylinder engines are installed on the new Mercedes C-class, as it was decided to remove V6 engines. But all versions will have a 48-volt EQ-Boost starter-generator that produces 20 hp and 200 Nm, helping the petrol engine when starting the car and in the first seconds of acceleration. A manual transmission is no longer offered. The basic version comes with a 9-speed automatic 9G-Tronic transmission, and the 4Matic all-wheel drive transmission is available for a surcharge only for the C 200 and C 300 versions.
Modifications:
- The C 180 is equipped with a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 170 hp.
- The C 200 comes with the same engine, but boosted to 204 hp.
- The C 300 has a 2.0-liter 258 hp engine under the hood.
- The C 220 d is equipped with a 2-liter diesel engine with 200 hp.
- The C 300 d offers 265 hp with a similar previous version of the unit.
The C 300 e (petrol) and C 300 de (diesel) plug-in hybrid versions will be equipped with a new 25.4 kWh battery, which is expected to reach 100 km on a single charge. Electric motor with 129 hp and 440 Nm will allow you to accelerate to 140 km/h in a 100% electric mode. More detailed characteristics of the hybrid models will appear later.
