Arriving in the middle of the most competitive premium segment, the W205 C-Class provides elegance and refinement as its main attribute. Buyers will have a tough time choosing anything else, since Mercedes has fitted the first air suspension option in this class, LED headlights airbags for your pelvis and the finest interior known to a middle management executive.

Riding on a brand new platform that helps it shed weight and improve efficiency, the new C-Class will be sold with two engines in the US: C 300 4Matic with a 235 hp 2-liter turbo and C 400 4Matic with a 329 3-liter turbo, both fitted with all-wheel drive and seven-speed automatic. Over in Europe, the lineup looks completely different. The base model is the C 180 petrol, a 1.6-liter turbo providing 156 S and and 250 Nm (184 lb ft) of torque. There's also a C 200 model powered by a 2-liter turbo rated at 184 PS and 300 Nm (221 lb ft) of torque. Both are fitted as standard with a new six-speed manual gearbox, with a 7G-Tronic option available on the higher spec car. The only diesel is the familiar 2.1-liter available on the C 220 BlueTec. This produces 170 PS and 400 Nm (295 lb ft) of torque. It's the most efficient of the bunch and is rated at 4 l/100km combined.

Published: Tuesday, December 17, 2013