2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Preview: 2014 Detroit Auto Show

With the 2014 C-Class long in the tooth, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class gives the German luxury brand more bite in the entry-level premium sedan segment.  Tasked with replacing the biggest seller in the Mercedes-Benz lineup, the all-new C-Class is bigger, more powerful, and more visually striking than ever before, while hewing closer to the automaker’s cross-lineup styling cues and bringing it deeply into the orbit of its S-Class patriarch.  With the CLA-Class now representing  the bottom rung of the Mercedes-Benz ladder, the C-Class is free to tempt entry-level buyers with deeper pockets.

What’s New for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class:

• All-new design
• Two new engine options
• Inflatable rear seatbelts
• Increased tech quotient

New 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Styling and Design

If the CLA-Class was intended to look like a baby CLS-Class, then the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class is undoubtedly cast as an S-Class junior.  With the same stubby rear overhang and wide front air intakes set into its bumper as the S-Class, the C-Class is poised to snare those who dream of the ultra-luxury cruiser but find themselves limited to a more modest budget.  Unlike the CLA-Class, the C-Class is successful in shrinking the cues that help the S-Class cut such an imposing figure, and while it’s not exactly a sporty look for a compact sedan it’s a prestigious one. 

That same character continues on the inside of the car,  although a COMAND screen similar to that found in the CLA-Class sits affixed to, instead of set into, the dashboard of the C-Class, which should stir up the rancor of those who were offended by the former’s design conceit.  With a wheelbase that is longer by three inches than the 2014 model, the 2015 C-Class offers better interior room, especially for rear-seat passengers (it’s wider and longer overall too).  Even the trunk is bigger, jumping to 17 cubic feet.

New 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: What’s Under the Hood

The base 2015 Mercedes-Benz C300 4MATIC will come equipped with a 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine that has been initially pegged to produce 241 horsepower and 271 lb-ft of torque, while the C400 4MATIC introduces a 329 horsepower, 3.0-liter turbocharged V-6 that is also capable of generating 354 lb-ft of torque.  A seven-speed automatic transmission – along with direct fuel injection – is standard with each unit.  You will also notice that each model bears the 4MATIC appellation.  This is because Mercedes-Benz has decided to make the first run of the new C-Class all-wheel drive-only, with rear-wheel drive models to follow the year after.

New 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: Features and Technology

The 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class goes in for new tech gear in a big way, particularly in the safety department where it now boasts not only the availability of inflatable second row seatbelts, but also a collision prevention system with automatic braking, adaptive cruise control with the ability to automatically follow the car ahead of it (for use in traffic jam situations), and a new active lane keeping assistance system.  Mercedes-Benz is also additionally offering an active air suspension option for the 2015 C-Class, as well as a climate control system that is linked to the vehicle’s GPS location, and which can automatically close the air intake vents should maps indicate that the sedan is about to enter a tunnel.

New 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class: What Autobytel Thinks

The previous edition of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class was a handsome car, but the 2015 model should have an even more universal appeal.  The ability to load the car up with so many exotic safety and comfort options will be a big boost for the automaker’s bottom line, but it also provides entry-level shoppers with the chance to sample some of the more rarified air typically found only in the upper reaches of the luxury stratosphere.  It’s not the sportiest compact premium sedan out there, but it might be the classiest, and for many that’s an appealing trade-off.