The Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a hugely important company car. It’s a top 10-selling car in the UK, and in 2017, 415,000 were sold globally. So Mercedes-Benz is making sure that it hits the target head on with its mid-life facelift – it’s simultaneously launching the saloon, estate, coupe and cabriolet versions, too.
The revised C-Class goes toe-to-toe with the Audi A4 and BMW 3 Series, and the company hopes that these changes will take it to the head of the junior executive class. Other rivals that it also needs to beat include the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Jaguar XE, Lexus IS and upcoming Volvo S60.
The big news is that Mercedes-Benz is targeting drivers considering dropping diesel with a new high-efficiency C 200 entry-level model. It’s powered by an all-new 1.5-litre four-cylinder with twin-scroll turbo and a mild-hybrid system known as EQ Boost. Based on a 48-volt electrical architecture, EQ Boost is a powerful integrated starter/generator (ISG) designed to boost torque and power.
Entry-level C 200 targets company car drivers
It’s decently powerful, with 184hp on tap, which is good enough to give this entry-level car a maximum speed of 147mph and a 0-62mph time of 7.7 seconds. Claimed combined fuel consumption of 46.3mpg and 140g/km (on WLTP measurements) are decent and reflect good real-world potential.
For the 2018/2019 BIK rates, the C 200 scores 28-29% depending on the model, which compares with 26-27% for the similarly-priced C 200 d model. However, the company car-friendly C 200 SE has a lower P11D value of £32,920, against £33,035 for the C 200 d SE.
- Read the full review of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Saloon
- Read the full review of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe
- Read the full review of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Estate
- Read the full review of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet
We’ve driven all the bodystyles and engine variations, and can conclude that while, the C-Class was already near the top of the junior executive class, it’s taken a small step closer to the class-champion Audi A4. The facelift is a case of job done for Mercedes-Benz.
Read below for the full price and tax details of the 2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class saloon.
