The Greatest C-Class?

Under the revised sheetmetal in front is a new strut suspension using two separate lower links instead of a control arm, which is said to provide better energy absorption in a crash. The rear end wears a revised version of the familiar multilink suspension now used on all Benz cars. Rack-and-pinion steering is new to the C-class, replacing the traditional recirculating ball, and it has been incorporated in such a way that kickback was unnoticeable on the cars we sampled at the launch.

Inside the new C-class cars we find an all-new dashboard design with a cigar-shaped dashboard top element, a tidy center-console layout, a steering wheel with remote-control buttons, a center speaker in the upper dash, and a large and legible gauge cluster. Considering the long list of occupant-controlled equipment—dual-zone climate control, an elaborate audio system, etc.—the apparent simplicity of the interior is nothing short of amazing.

Here in the U.S., we will get two of the three trim versions marketed else-where. Our standard cars will be outfitted as Elegance models (but not called that), which sport top-of-the-line luxo-level leather-and-wood duds, and our Sport package, which gets wheel and suspension upgrades, will take the so-called Avantgarde interior trim, which features textured aluminum inlays instead of glossy timber.

All the proliferating safety technology that jams modern luxury cars is to be found in the new C-class: an electronic stability program; ABS; brake assist; two-stage smart airbags with BabySmart transponders to detect compatible child seats; side and head airbags; seatbelt pretensioners; belt-force limiters; and Tele Aid emergency cellular link.

Some equipment that is standard in the C320 is optional on the C240—a Bose eight-speaker stereo, for example, that incorporates Bose’s trademark AudioPilot noise compensation system (it uses a cabin microphone to monitor sound performance and digital signal processing to adjust the sound against unwanted interference). Also optional on C240s is the Touch Shift system to facilitate manually controlled shifts on automatic-transmission cars.

There is a short list of items that are options on both models, including a navigation system, xenon headlamps, heated seats, a six-disc CD changer, a cell phone, and split fold-down rear seatbacks. But both cars are very well equipped as they come, and this should offset the expected price increase.

In the short test drive laid out for us in the Taunus hills outside Frankfurt, we found the new C-class cars to be extremely quiet and particularly resistant to wind noise. They steer with great accuracy, but we found the diesel-powered C270 (with more weight on the front wheels) to have better feel through the wheel than models with lighter powertrains. All the cars demonstrated remarkable roadgoing poise and surprisingly high levels of grip, and the C320, in particular, felt as torquey as some V-8s. We think the new cars ought to do extremely well in the marketplace and are now keenly looking forward to whatever AMG will do to further embellish this latest, greatest C-class.