2018 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Facelift Launched, No Petrol Engines For Now

Mercedes-Benz has launched the facelifted version of its popular sedan, the C-Class, in India. Priced from Rs 40 lakh to Rs 48.50 lakh, ex-showroom India, the C-Class takes on the likes of the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Jaguar XE for now, while the Volvo S60 will also enter the fray by 2019.

Highlights of the facelift include exterior cosmetic changes, new features on the inside, new safety equipment and, most importantly, a whole new set of both petrol/diesel engines.

Price

The C-Class is available in three variants, the prices of which (ex-showroom pan India) are as follows:

C 220 d Prime - Rs 40 lakh
C 220 d Progressive - Rs 44.25 lakh
C 300 d AMG Line - Rs 48.50 lakh

Customers can book the C 220 d variants from today onwards, with deliveries beginning soon after. Those who book the more powerful C 300 d will have to wait till 2019 to get their hands on the most powerful sedan in the class.

The pre-facelift model was available with both petrol and diesel powertrains and was priced in the Rs 39.90 lakh to Rs 45.40 lakh, ex-showroom India.

What’s new?

In terms of dimensions, the C-Class facelift is no different from the outgoing model, but there are enough cosmetic changes to make it look fresh.

This includes a new grille design which gets ‘starry-sky’ like chrome studs along with a single-slat grille insert and a large three-pointed star in the centre, which is limited to the C 220 d Prestige variant.

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The front bumper has been redesigned to make the C-Class look more aggressive now, this includes larger side-intakes (which are non-functional) and a new lower air-dam. The C 220 d Prime and the 300 d AMG get new projector headlamps, while the C 220 d gets all-LED headlamps.

The 17-inch wheels and 18-inch wheels, for the C 200 d and the c 300 d respectively, have been redesigned and look sportier than before.

At the rear, the taillamps have redesigned brake lamps, which along with the redesigned bumper make the C-Class look more petite than before.

Inside, the changes are as obvious as the ones on the outside. This includes the larger infotainment screen, the new steering wheel with touch-sensitive sensors and new controls for the cruise control system (the earlier car had a separate stalk) and new ‘agility-control’ drive modes.

Other feature highlights include a huge panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control, seven airbags, adaptive braking, attention assist and active parking - like the older model.

No petrol engines

For now, Mercedes-Benz is only offering the C-Class with diesel powertrains. The OM 654 motor, a 2.0-litre, 4-cylinder turbo-diesel, is available in two tunes of performance. In the C 220 d this develops 194PS/440Nm, and in the new C 300 d it develops 245PS/500Nm. This makes the latter the most powerful sedan in its class. All variants are offered with a 9-speed automatic transmission with power sent to the rear wheels.