2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class

For several years, the C-Class was Mercedes-Benz's entry-level car in North America. But several players have been added to the lineup since then. First, there was the B-Class (which disappears after 2019), then the CLA and the GLA and, more recently, the A-Class which makes its official entry into North America after many years on the European market.

Throughout these years, the C-Class has been refined, increased the number of versions and has become a more important model for the brand. Mercedes made several modifications to the car in a mid-cycle update of the current generation, introduced as a 2015 Model. The C-Class now relies on a sedan, a coupe, a convertible and a wagon to cast a very wide net on the market. There aren't many other cars sold under a single model designation designed to appeal to four distinct groups of buyers.

By now, you're probably well aware of the C-Class's main competition, which includes the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, as well as the Cadillac CTS (soon to be replaced by a CT5). We can also think to a lesser extent of an Alfa Romeo Giulia, an Infiniti Q50, a Lexus IS or an Acura TLX.

Trim levels include the C 300, C43, C 63 and C 63 S for sedans, coupes and convertibles, while the wagon is only available in C 300 and C 43. Modifications made to the four C-Class variants include updated styling; a new steering wheel with touchpad; a new key; elimination of the CD/DVD player; improved ambient interior lighting; a now-available 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster; a new optional 10.25-inch central multimedia screen; smartphone integration with inductive charging; standard rear cross-traffic alert; a more advanced blind spot monitoring system that warns the driver even if the ignition is off; and improved driver assistance features available in the car.

Under the hood: the base C 300's turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine delivers 14 more horsepower for 255 (its 273 lb-ft of torque remains the same), the C 43's turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 adds 23 horsepower for a new total of 385 (as well as its 384 lb-ft of torque) and the C 63 and C 63 S receive a new nine-speed automatic transmission that will replace last year's seven-speed model. The 4.0L turbo V8 used in these cars retains its impressive outputs of 469 horsepower/479 lb-ft of torque (C 63) and 503 horsepower/516 lb-ft (C 63 S). On that note, all C 300 and C 43 models are all-wheel drive, while the C 63 is rear-wheel drive. The C 300 and C 43 get a nine-speed transmission carried over from last year.

Driver assistance improvements include adaptive intelligent cruise control and active steering assist that can follow the car ahead over a wider speed range; an emergency stop assist function that will unlock the doors if it detects that the driver is unable to exit the vehicle.

At the time of writing, Mercedes had not yet released fuel consumption estimates, but we expect the 2019 figures to be similar to those of the previous year: 10.5/7.5 L/100 km (city/highway) for the C 300; 11.8/8.8 for the C 43 variants; and 13.4/9.6 in the C 63 models.