W205 Mercedes-Benz C-Class facelift – more details revealed; 1.5L turbo with mild hybrid for new C200!

Now that the facelifted W205 Mercedes-Benz C-Class has celebrated its debut at the 2018 Geneva Motor Show, the German carmaker has furnished us with more details about its compact executive model – available in sedan and estate body styles.

We’ll start with engines, where the new C-Class comes with the new M264 four-cylinder petrol engine. On the C 200 and C 200 4Matic, the 1.5 litre twin-scroll turbo mill makes 181 hp (184 PS) at 5,800 to 6,100 rpm and 280 Nm of torque at 3,000 to 4,000 rpm.

These models also come equipped with an EQ boost belt-driven starter/alternator, which provides 13 hp (10 kW) and 160 Nm of boost (pun intended) to fill in the gap when the turbo is building up its boost. It also helps the engine reach the ideal rpm as quickly as possible during gearshifts.

During deceleration, the EQ boost unit is capable of recuperating up to 12 kW of energy to charge the battery. Other benefits include a gliding mode with the engine switched off, allowing for fuel savings when the vehicle is coasting.

The technology operates on a 48-volt electrical system, which is also link to the electrically-driven water pump. Mercedes-Benz claims the idling start/stop system is also improved, as the engine now restarts almost silently, with low vibrations and very rapidly.

As for performance, the C 200 Sedan will complete the 0-100 km/h sprint in just 7.7 seconds and hit a top speed of 239 km/h (7.9 seconds and 235 km/h for the C 200 Estate). Meanwhile, the C 200 4Matic will complete the feat in 8.1 seconds, with a top speed of 234 km/h. Later on, a larger 2.0 litre option will be introduced likely mimicking that used in the E 350 Coupé and Cabriolet.

The third petrol option comes in the form of the C 43 4Matic, which now comes with a more powerful 3.0 litre biturbo V6 engine. The new output now stands at 385 hp (390 PS) at 6,100 rpm, which is 23 hp more than before. Meanwhile, peak torque is now 520 Nm, available from 2,500 to 5,000 rpm.

It should come as no surprise that the C 43 Matic is the quickest from a standstill to 100 km/h, taking just 4.7 seconds to do so (4.8 seconds for the Estate). The top speed is identical on both body styles at an electronically-limited 250 km/h.

On the diesel side of things, there’s the C 220 d, which packs the new OM654 2.0 litre four-cylinder with 192 hp (194 PS) at 3,800 rpm and 400 Nm of torque at 1,600 to 2,800 rpm. This mill replaces the aging OM651 2.2 litre unit, and can already be found in E-Class. The oil burner is pretty brisk too, with a 0-100 km/h time of just 6.9 seconds and 240 km/h top speed (7.0 seconds and 233 km/h for the Estate). It also boasts a fuel consumption of as low as 4.4 l/100 km (combined).

Aside from the C 43 4Matic, which has a nine-speed AMG Speedshift TCT 9G transmission, all models are paired with a 9G-Tronic automatic transmission. Where relevant, the carmaker’s 4Matic permanent all-wheel drive system is also present.

Lest we forget, Mercedes-Benz also revealed two pre-production diesel plug-in hybrid models just recently, and one of them will be a new addition to the C-Class family. The setup consists of the OM654 engine, third-generation hybrid unit (P3) based on the 9G-Tronic automatic transmission, what is likely a 48-volt electrical system and an electric motor.

The last item is being quoted with an output of up to 120 hp (90 kW) and 440 Nm, which sees an increase in top speed when operating in electric-only mode – 140 km/h from 130 km/h. A larger 13.5 kWh lithium-ion battery supplies power to the electric motor, and can be charged using a more powerful 7.2 kW on-board charger too.

Moving away from the available (and upcoming) powertrains, the C-Class will be offered with a variety of equipment. This includes three exterior packages – Exclusive, Avantgarde and AMG – along with a choice of headlamps – halogen, LED High Performance and for the first time, Multibeam LED with Ultra Range high beam. The colour palette has also been expanded to include Mojave silver metallic and emerald green metallic for both body styles.

Moving inside, new materials – open-pore brown walnut and open-pore anthracite oak – are now available as trim options. Also, new interior colours include magma grey/black, plus saddle brown for the AMG Line interior. If that isn’t enough, the seat belts now come in magma grey instead of crystal grey. Other additions include the optional Multicontour Seat package with adjustable side bolsters and lumbar support, the latter with a massage function.

As for toys, a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument display (1920×720 pixels) is available to replace the standard analogue/digital combo setup (with a 5.5-inch, 383×600 pixels display). Drivers get three displays styles to choose from, including Classic, Sport and Progressive.

The central display is available in 7-inch (960×540 pixels) and a 10.25-inch (1920×720 pixels) sizes, depending on the acquired infotainment system. Coming in as standard is an Audio 20 system, which can be upgraded to a more advanced COMAND Online system.

Other available equipment include Energizing comfort control as well as NFC technology – turns the customer’s smartphone into a vehicle key. A nine-speaker, 225-watt sound system has also been added, bridging the gap between the standard sounds system and the Burmester surround sound system.

The new C-Class also borrows from the S-Class, a range of new driver assistance systems, including the Distronic adaptive cruise control that can now utilise map information to proactively adjust the speed, such as when approaching bends, junctions or roundabouts. Active Lane Change Assist and Active Emergency Stop Assist have also been added, allowing the C-Class to drive semi-autonomously in certain situations.

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