Everyone at CarAdvice has been impressed by the level of fit, finish and attention to detail that is a feature across the C-Class range. The cabin oozes class from every pore, the control systems are designed cleverly and are a cinch to master and you’re left feeling that you’re in a much more expensive vehicle.

The 2015 Mercedes Benz C-Class really is as good as we’ve all been reporting. The addition of an Estate model to the range, with a solid range of engines just adds to its buying appeal.

There’s still tremendous flexibility in the concept of a wagon as the default family car. The fact that the C-Class Estate looks so stylish is simply the icing on a very sophisticated cake.

Beijing Benz Automotive Co (BBAC), the joint venture company between Daimler AG and BAIC Motor, has built its 500,000th car in China since 2006. About half of all production comes just within the last two years, a testimony of Mercedes’ rapid growth in the world’s largest car market.

The 500,000th locally produced Mercedes-Benz passenger car is a long-wheelbase C-Class model. In early 2015 the GLA-Class will become the fourth localized Mercedes-Benz model, and further compact car models will follow in the future.

“Going forward, we are determined to pick up the pace even more as we just signed a 1 billion Euro agreement with our partner for the localization of further compact car models. BBAC is undoubtedly on its path to become the largest Mercedes-Benz passenger car plant worldwide,” said Hubertus Troska, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Greater China.

BBAC has built Mercedes-Benz passenger cars since 2006 and engines since 2013. Last year, the Beijing-based plant made around 120,000 vehicles, accounting for approximately one-half of Mercedes-Benz’s total sales volume in China.

By the end of next year, the figure is expected to grow significantly, as production capacities will reach well beyond 200,000 units. BBAC’s growth is backed by the two shareholders’ joint investment of €4 billion in the company through 2015.

About €400 million has been spent on the first ever Mercedes-Benz passenger car engine plant outside of Germany, inaugurated about a year ago. The facility produces 4- and 6-cylinder engines for locally produced passenger cars and vans built by Daimler’s local joint venture Fujian Benz Automotive Co. The plant has an annual capacity of 250,000 units for the first phase.

Deliveries start in December

German media is reporting Mercedes-Benz will open the order books for the C-Class Coupe in September 2015.

The next derivative to join the C-Class lineup will be the coupe (codenamed C205) and it will happen in September 2015 when the model will make its world premiere at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Mercedes-Benz will start taking orders right away while deliveries will commence sometime in December.

This latest report from Germany makes sense taking into account a couple of weeks ago a slideshow depicting the firm's plans for 2015 emerged and the C-Class Coupe was listed with a November 2015 release, although it wasn't specified whether it's a reveal or launch date.

Following the coupe's introduction, Mercedes-Benz will launch in 2016 the C-Class Cabriolet (A205) with a fabric roof. Both coupe and open-top versions will inherit the engine lineup from the sedan and wagon, all the way up to the twin-turbo V8 4.0-liter powering the C63 AMG versions where it's offered with 476 HP & 650 Nm in the regular version and with 510 HP & 700 Nm in the C63 S.

Should do 32 km on electric power

German media is reporting Mercedes-Benz will start taking orders for the C-Class plug-in hybrid in January 2015.

The vehicle is going to be commercialized with the "C350e" moniker, with the "e" denoting it's a plug-in hybrid model as previously announced by Mercedes-Benz when they revealed an updated nomenclature structure more than a month ago. Order books are expected to be opened in January 2015 while deliveries should occur in the first quarter of the year.

The Mercedes-Benz C350e will get a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged gasoline engine rated at 208 bhp (155 kW) teamed up with an electric motor providing an extra 80 bhp (60 kW). There's also a 8.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack installed above the rear axle which will enable a more balanced weight distribution. In electric mode, the vehicle will be able to travel for up to 32 km (20 miles) before running out of juice while used as a hybrid it should have a fuel consumption of just 2.1 liters / 100 km (112 mpg US or 134.5 mpg UK).

Mercedes-Benz is planning an additional nine e-badged models to launch in the next three years and it is believed none of these will slot in the A-Class family.

The Mercedes-Benz C-Class has a sleeker look and beautiful interior. It comes with some nice standard options but you'll pay extra for a backup camera and voice commands for your phone.

While BMW offers two alternatives to the traditional 3-Series sedan (the 3-Series Gran Turismo and 4-Series Gran Coupe), Mercedes-Benz has so far avoided experiments with the C-Class.

For now, the brand with the star only offers the C-Class in sedan and estate body styles, but a two-door coupe is on the way as well.

But what about a four-door coupe or liftback? Photoshop manipulator Theophilus Chin took the liberty of creating such a model that looks more like a rival for the 3-Series GT than for the 4-Series Gran Coupe. I can’t comment on the execution, as the rendering looks spot on, but I honestly hope Mercedes-Benz will stick to traditional body styles and not build a 3-Series Gran Turismo rival.

With one exception: a CLS-style four-door coupe. That I would like to see, although Mercedes-Benz is already selling a mini-CLS that is called CLA. Still, there could be enough room between the CLA and CLS for a C-Class based rival of the BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe.