The all-new 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is just launching on the U.S. market and many people are wondering if the Stuttgart-based wizards have managed to create a sporty car to compete with the BMW 3 Series.
Historically, the C-Class has always be considered more of a luxurious car than a sports sedan or coupe. The compact Mercedes was previously targeting a 45+ year old demographic but now, Benz has different plans.
Mercedes-Benz’s design boss Gorden Wagener is overseeing a major change in the company’s design philosophy in order to attract a younger buyer demographic and conquest sales from other brands. The company is targeting this version at the 35-45 year-old demographic. Fifty percent of the current C-Class buyers are said to be new to the brand.
The new Mercedes-Benz C-Class made its European debut at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show. Sporting a new design, resembling a smaller S-Class, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is now slightly larger, more luxurious, and delivers an impressive interior design.
READ: BMW 3 Series vs. Mercedes-Benz C-Class – The Best Design Awards Goes To…
The W205 codenamed car sports high strength steel with a high percentage of aluminum body panels, allowing for a weight loss of 220 pounds. Learning from the sportier models, the new C-Class features a four-link front suspension design intended for improved grip and sharper turning. If that’s not enough to compete with the “Ultimate Driving Machine”, then buyers have the option to add a sport suspension which reduces the ride height by 0.6 inches.
In the U.S., the new C-Class will be available from September 2014 with two gasoline powertrains: the C 300 4MATIC with a 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection in-line four-cylinder engine producing 235 hp and 273 lb-ft (370 Nm) of torque and a C 400 4MATIC with a 3.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection V6 churning out 329 hp and 354 lb-ft (480 Nm) of torque.
The C300 and C400 come standard with a seven speed automatic.
To compete with BMWs in all niches, a C-Class hatchback is also said to arrive in the future to take on the BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo.
All recent comparison test drives show the C-Class and the 3 Series Sedan are closer than ever when comparing them from all angles, so the final purchasing choice might come to personal preference.
