2015 Mercedes-Benz C350

Mercedes-Benz’s current new-product onslaught, which saw the introduction of both the critically important CLA-class compact sedan and the S-class flagship this year alone, isn’t over. Joining the party is the 2015 C-class sedan, which is making its debut at the 2014 Detroit auto show. It’s also quite possibly is the brand’s most important model to hit the ground for the next couple of years. That’s because it’s the automaker’s top seller here in the States, and faces new pressures to set itself apart from the smaller and youthful CLA-class while also continuing its age-old battle with the BMW 3-series and Audi A4. It also must fend off the excellent Lexus IS and Cadillac ATS.

S-classicism

Mercedes’ designers held up their end of the bargain when it came making the new C-class distinct from the CLA, because although the cars share their basic styling language, their proportions are totally different. Unlike the front-drive CLA, the C-class gets long-hood, short-deck proportions ripped straight from the range-topping S-class. For good measure, Benz also tossed in S-class–like headlights, taillights, and other assorted details. This association is no accident—the S might carry Mercedes’ styling torch, but the C-class will end up in far more driveways and thus grab more eyeballs.

Several interior color and trim combinations will be available, with a choice of wood or aluminum accents and numerous leathers. /p p A new COMAND infotainment system with a touch-sensitive pad makes its debut on the C-class as standard equipment. a href=" " target="_self"We also tried out/a this nifty bit of tech, which responds to the same touch-screen finger inputs common to smartphones for audio, climate, and navigation controls, and found it was surprisingly slick and as easy to use than the intuitive COMAND knob. (The familiar knob stays, as do voice controls, giving users two other options for controlling infotainment functions.) The center-stack screen floats above the instrument panel like the CLA’s and measures seven inches across; a Multimedia option package ups that to a huge, stunningly clear 8.4 inches. Rounding out the interior tech is a newly available color head-up display, which can present speed, navigation, cruise control, and audio information. /p table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"x">

Two Engines, Plus One More—And a New Transmission in the Future

At launch, the C-class engine lineup will be pared down from the current car’s quartet of gas-fed motors to just two. The outgoing C250, C300, C350, and C63 AMG models give way to the C300 and C400. Whereas last year’s C300 came with a lower-output version of the C350’s V-6, the 2015 C300 gets a turbocharged 2.0-liter four tentatively rated at 235 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque. The C400 designation is new, and that model gets a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 pumping out 329 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. While the C250 and its 1.8-liter turbo four seems dead for good, the high-performance C63 will return (likely for the 2016 model year). We expect that a diesel C-class variant will be headed our way sometime after launch, and we’re told a plug-in hybrid variant is being considered, as well.