The new 2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class to debut in Geneva

MANILA: The C-Class was the bread and butter of Mercedes-Benz in 2017. Being their highest selling car, it’s no wonder that it is receiving a facelift.

The new for 2019, C-Class has many upgrades. The ones on the exterior may not be so obvious. The front bumper’s side air vents now more closely resemble its elder sibling’s- the 2018 S-Class Coupe. The front also gets a chrome plated fascia while the rear has to do with a new tailpipe.

The interior now comes with two trim options: Natural Grain Walnut or Natural Grain Grey Oak. The wooden treatment now also covers the central console while the rest of the interior is finished in Magma Grey or Black upholstery. The AMG version gets the option of Saddle Brown or Silk Beige/Black upholsteries. The tech upgrades include touch controls on the steering wheel allowing smartphone like gestures. Additionally, the steering now also has controls for the (Active Distance Assist) Distronic and Cruise Control functions.

The driver aides have been upgraded too. The Intelligent Drive system has been extended, giving the C-Class autonomous driving capabilities. The cameras can now view as far ahead as 1640 m and give a 3D view up to 90 m. The radars can now scan up to (250, 40, 80) m on the front side and rear respectively.   

The Distonic system uses the radars and the map to control the speed of the car while approaching a curve and while driving on the highway. And of course, it has lane change assist and emergency stop assist as well.

The seven-inch infotainment display now has three different modes- Classic, Sport, and Progressive. There is also the option of a 10.25-inch COMAND Online system which shows a 3D and photorealistic view of maps including the topography.

Finally, the 2.0-litre inline-4 turbo has received a slight power bump of 14 hp and now produces up to 255 hp and 370 Nm of torque and coupled with a 9-speed automatic.

All these changes do make for a very tasty recipe. But will the C-Class continue to be Mercedes-Benz’s prime breadwinner? Only time will tell.