First review Mercedes C-class: you don't need more Mercedes

What is striking about the new Mercedes C-Class?

Mercedes has a price list that is almost bursting at the seams with niches. From classy to fake-classy, ​​from stylish to tasteless and from affordable to out-of-the-ordinary. But there can only be one car that can be the worldwide bestseller and that is the C-Class. A new C-class is therefore not a small ripple, but a tidal wave.

Externally, the changes with the old C-class from 2014 are not even that big, especially at the front you have to look closely. At the back you now see vertically placed light units.

Especially on the inside you can see that the technology is progressing in seven years. You instinctively step into a mini-S-class. The C-class now also has that huge screen in the center console, which seems to float a little bit and with which all important functions are controlled.

There was also a change in the engine: all C-classes are mild hybrids, in 2021 the C-class will also be available as a plug-in hybrid with a power of 313 hp and an electric range of 100 kilometers.

What's good about the new Mercedes C-Class?

The world you enter when you step in is paradise. The cognac-coloured leather upholstery, the beautiful mood lighting, the five air vents, the large screen in the center console (diameter of 31.2 cm) that is slightly turned towards the driver: the Mercedes driver has a lot to look at. But some details only stand out if you take a closer look at them. Only then do you see that the speakers, the seat adjustment and the door handles in the door panels are all in harmony with each other. Our test car also has a line of lime wood on the dashboard. Those sitting in the back have more head and legroom than in the old model.

The excellent comfort of the chassis and the silence on board have remained. And the extensive MBUX system, which responds when you call Hey Mercedes. The C-class is a classic Mercedes with ultramodern technology.

What could be improved about the new Mercedes C-Class?

We're not sure what our C 200 looks like without all the tasty options. The test car (C 200 Luxury Line) has options on board for more than 10,000 euros, making it no less than 63,700 euros. If you buy the basic version, you will not receive a panoramic sliding roof, no Burmester sound system, no trim made of wood and metal and no Premium Package.

In the technical field it is difficult to hand out low report marks. Come on, anyone who puts salt on every snail can complain about the somewhat lazy nine-speed automatic. Shifting could be a little smoother. But that is jeremy at management level.

When will the Mercedes C-class come to the Netherlands and what is the price?

Remember when you could buy a Mercedes 190 for 49,995 guilders in the late 1980s? You now pay that amount in euros for its distant successor. The C 180 (170 hp) has a price of 48,280 euros. The C 200 has the same 1.5-litre engine (from Renault, don't tell anyone!), but it produces 204 hp. For the Launch Edition you pay 49,985 euros. Provisional top model in the petrol versions is the C 300 4Matic (258 hp), with a price of 67,132 euros.

The Estate is now only available as a C 200, but more versions are in the pipeline. The price is 52,229 euros for the Launch Edition.

Do you want to diesel? Then only the C 300 d with 265 hp is available for the time being, for a price of 69,307 euros (Estate: 71,406 euros). The C 200 d (200 hp) will also come later. The C-class sedan is already at the dealer, the Estate will come this summer. Plug-in hybrids will follow at the end of this year.

What do I think of the new Mercedes C-Class?

What a comfortable, luxurious, beautifully finished car the C-Class is, if you equip it with some tasty options. Actually, it's like an S-class. You don't need more Mercedes.

There is much more to tell about the Mercedes C-class. You can read all that in Auto Review. Enjoying your magazine? Take advantage of our summer promotion now!