Orders Being Accepted for Mercedes C Class First in Europe

The C Class is Mercedes-Benz’ best-selling model range. Well above one million units of the current C Class have been sold since the model was introduced in 2007, according to Mercedes. The most important sales market for the C Class sedan is the U.S. (25 percent of total sales), followed by Germany and China. Mercedes-Benz has sold around 8.5 million vehicles in the C Class segment since the first vehicle was introduced back in 1982 (known as the 190 series at the time).

The C Class benefits from some technological hand-me-downs from the S and E class Mercedes ranging from the Attention Assist fatigue detection system to Distronic Plus proximity control. In addition, new engines, the enhanced 7G Tronic Plus automatic transmission, and the ECO start-stop function help to reduce fuel consumption by up to 31 percent compared to the predecessor model in Europe. Fuel economy improvements should be 15 percent in the U.S.

The highlight in the engine lineup is the introduction of the new V6 gasoline engine in the C350 Sport Sedan, featuring the innovative and highly efficient BlueDIRECT process. The improvement in efficiency is combined with a considerable increase in output. The C350 Sport Sedan now generates 302 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque (previously 268 hp and 258 lb-ft), while fuel economy has been improved by 5 percent compared with the outgoing C350 model.

The four-cylinder engine (new for the U.S. market) features direct injection and tur- bocharging and is also distinguished by outstanding combined fuel economy of 24 mpg. This marks an improvement of nearly 15 percent compared with the 2011MY C300.

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