With bigger brakes and different styling

Our colleagues from LeftLaneNews have managed to obtain new details about the upcoming Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG.

Set to go on sale early next year, the C63 AMG Sedan will be motivated by a V8 4.0-liter twin-turbo engine outputting somewhere in the region of 480 bhp (358 kW) in the "regular" model. A source close to the German marque told LeftLaneNews there will be a more powerful "S" version which will also pack larger brakes and different interior & exterior styling.

None of the two cars will be offered with a dual-clutch transmission since Mercedes-Benz believes there isn't enough customer demand and also the development costs would be high.

The standard Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Sedan will allegedly be unveiled in October at the Paris Motor Show before going on sale at the beginning of 2015. It will be followed by coupe, cabrio and wagon versions along with the aforementioned S variant. At this moment it's not known whether all body styles or just the sedan will get the S derivative.

Mercedes C200 BlueTec has highest economy and lowest emissions in the range

Verdict

Without an auto box or air-suspension, the Mercedes C200 BlueTec doesn’t have the wow factor of other models we’ve driven. Still, you could spend £895 to add air-suspension to this C200 and it would still probably cost less than a C220 BlueTEC, while also boasting higher economy and lower emissions – perfect for company car buyers.

We test new 2014 Mercedes C-Class C250 BlueTEC in AMG Line trim for the first time

Verdict

Conservative in some respects, adventurous in others, the new Mercedes C-Class carefully refines a familiar, established formula into a potential class leader. The version that we tested isn’t perfect, but it’s definitely sharper to drive than before. More importantly, the raw ingredients show real promise – by being more practical, more efficient and offering S-Class levels of comfort, the C-Class seems to get much of the everyday stuff you take for granted absolutely spot-on. It’ll give the 3 Series a hard time when the two come face-to-face in the summer.

Mercedes C300 hybrid offers high economy and low emissions, appealing to fleet buyers

Verdict

The new C-Class is a real step up over the old car, boasting the kind of relaxing drive and high-quality cabin that we’ve become accustomed to from cars boasting a far higher price tag. This Mercedes C300 BlueTEC Hybrid model may not be the smoothest or the sharpest of the bunch but the margins are fine and company car buyers will certainly see the appeal. If you buying for personal use, though, we’d say go for the C250 BlueTEC and if emissions are really a priority then there’s always the 99g/km C200 BlueTEC.

BMW and Audi need to up their game enormously if the 3 Series and A4 are going to out-class the new C-Class

In 1968, Ford advertised its facelifted XT Falcon as packing “More, more Mustang” in its Coke-bottle-hipped shape, in the same way that Mercedes-Benz’s all-new W205 C-Class feels like it’s chocked with “more, more S-Class”. Except for the fact that no C-Class has ever been like this. From its compact-limousine appearance to its standard-setting interior, the fifth-generation C-Class takes ‘premium compact’ to a whole new level.

No matter where you look, this car is bursting with sweetness and light. Literally. Outside, almost every aero-enhanced panel is aluminium, helping to lower the C-Class’s overall weight by up to 100kg. And inside, hidden in its intricately shaped glovebox sits an optional perfume dispenser (dubbed Air Balance) that pumps a subtly scented fragrance into the C-Class’s cabin like an angel passing wind.

Ah yes, that cabin. It’s fabulous. So good, in fact, that Audi has reportedly delayed its next-generation A4 to ensure it can match (or perhaps exceed) the C-Class’s colour, texture, materials quality and design flair. As for BMW’s F30 3 Series, forget it. You could’ve heard the Munich designer’s knees knocking in Dunedoo when they first copped eyes on the new C-Class in Detroit two months ago.

Several C-Class drivetrains are already familiar – namely the 2.1-litre turbo-diesel four (in 120kW C220 and 150kW C250 tunes for Oz, plus as a C300 diesel Hybrid) and turbo-petrol fours in a range of outputs (1.6-litre 115kW C180, and 2.0-litre 135kW C200 and 155kW C250). A 180kW C300 turbo-petrol four will follow in due course, as will a 245kW C400 that goes on sale in September in Europe featuring the same twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 as the E400. There’s also a 4matic all-wheel-drive C-Class that will finally come to Australia in 2015.

So how is she on the road? Very much like a distilled S-Class. All engines are strong and super-efficient, though the C250’s chirpy 2.0-litre turbo-petrol is a more convincing sports-luxury unit than the older, less refined C250 turbo-diesel. In 4matic guise, the C400 is an effective wedge between the rear-drive fours and the forthcoming C63 AMG twin-turbo V8 that launches at the Paris Show in October, though a bit more spunk and greater acoustic sizzle would make the C400 even more convincing.

Backing up the C-Class’s superb interior is a generally high level of dynamic talent. It’s the first car in its class to offer air-sprung suspension (‘Airmatic’ in Mercedes-Benz speak), with Eco, Comfort, Sport, Sport+ and Individual modes. On the autoroutes circling Marseilles in southern France, ultra-plush Comfort felt a little too softly sprung at 120-130km/h, whereas Sport did a terrific job blending impressive ride comfort and level body control.

The steering in Sport also gets firmed-up, and at speed it’s preferable to Comfort’s lightness (especially in the four-cylinder, rear-drive cars), yet as usual, we can’t help thinking the perfect balance is somewhere in between the two.

To get a near-perfect level of steering crispness in a new C-Class, best stick with the standard steel suspension. It doesn’t ride quite as calmly as Airmatic’s Sport mode (wearing the 18-inch wheels of all launch cars), but its steering is its saviour. The C400 4matic seems to be more suited to the air suspension’s multiple settings and is particularly cohesive when driven hard in Sport mode.

And the C-Class likes to be given some stick. Even the C250 diesel is well controlled and balanced, though with its lighter nose, the C250 petrol is arguably the sweetest drive, while the all-wheel-drive C400 is a bit of a corner-carving Q-car. It doesn’t quite achieve the rear-biased balance of a 3 Series, but then its damping and steering are both so much better as a whole, you can forgive the C-Class for not being so overtly sporty.

For arguably the first time since 1982’s original W201 190/190E, the all-new W205 C-Class is truly an S-Class for the (well-heeled) masses. We’ll have to wait until its Australian launch in August to judge just how close this car comes to perfection, but we can say this for certain – BMW and Audi need to up their game enormously if the 3 Series and A4 are going to out-class the new C-Class.

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C400 is a brand new model that is set to replace the C350 model. This luxury sedan is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0 liter V-6 engine that makes 329 horsepower and 354 lb-ft. of torque. This model also is equipped with the Mercedes 4MATIC AWD system.

A best 0-60 MPH acceleration test run of 4.6 seconds was accomplished with the Drive Mode set to "Sport Plus" and the Traction Control switched "Off".

Mercedes-Benz Reporter Amanda Stretton takes the new C-Class for a ride in Marseille.

Product may vary after press date on 04.04.2014.

Mercedes already offering a C300 BlueTEC Hybrid

These spy shots show Mercedes-Benz is preparing to expand the C-Class (W205) lineup by adding a plug-in hybrid version.

First we should remind you Mercedes-Benz will soon be offering a C 300 BlueTEC HYBRID with a 4-cylinder, 2.1-liter turbodiesel engine delivering 204 PS (150 kW) and 500 Nm (369 lb-ft) working together with a 20 kW electric motor. This hybrid C-Class will return 61.8 mpg US (74.3 mpg UK or 3.8 liters / 100 km) and should have CO2 emissions of less than 100 g/km.

There will also be this car, the C 350 HYBRID Plug-In which will feature a 4-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine rated at 211 PS (155 kW) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) along with a 50 kW electric motor, enabling the model to return an impressive 78.4 mpg US (94.1 mpg UK or 3 liters / 100 km).

The C 350 HYBRID Plug-In will probably go on sale later this year.