Mercedes moves C class up

The new-generation C-class sedan is no longer the entry car into the Mercedes-Benz lineup as it has moved up in size, features and price.



The auto manufacturer says the C-class has become bolder, bigger and more luxurious.
Autonews.com reports that the 2015 C-class looks like a baby S-class sedan as its interior has high-grade materials and softer leather with a more upscale centre console.
The central display screen is either a standard 7 inches or 8.4 inches with the optional Comand infotainment system, says an autonews.com report.
The wheelbase has been lengthened by three inches; the car is four inches longer and 1.5 inches wider than the current model.
Those dimensions make it more than two inches longer than the entry CLA front-wheel-drive sedan and the BMW 3-series sedan, the chief rival to the C class.
To make this larger car agile and sporty, Mercedes has given it an aluminum hybrid body that is 154 pounds lighter than conventional steel.
Lightweight construction shaved a total of 200 pounds off the 2015 model compared with the current car.
It says the C300 4Matic and C400 4Matic with all-wheel drive will go on sale next month followed by the base C300 with rear-wheel drive in the first quarter of 2015.
As the C-class sedan moves up in features and size to position it further away from the year-old CLA, Mercedes-Benz is targeting 35- to 45-year-old young professionals.
It is equipped with optional Intelligent Drive safety and navigation features from the year-old S-class sedan.
The Product Manager for Mercedes-Benz USA, Bart Herring, says the car is networked so that “it senses to set you up to make better decisions or assist to keep you out of danger.”
Collision prevention and attention assist are standard. The car also has standard keyless start and a touchpad above the infotainment controller.