Parked alongside a replica of the original Benz car, Mercedes lifts the covers on the 2012 C-Class sedan.
What’s the difference between a facelift and a complete redesign? Apparently not much, at least not in the case of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which has undergone a dramatic transformation touching on 2,000 separate parts, from sheet metal to the smallest nuts and bolts.
“It is the most in-depth facelift we have ever done,” Dieter Zetsche, CEO of Mercedes’ parent, Daimler AG, told TheDetroitBureau.com.
The changes are distinct and instantly apparent, starting with a more curvaceous shape that calls to mind the latest-generation Mercedes CLS, its coupe-like sedan. The new 3-bar chrome grille is not only sleeker in appearance but more aerodynamic, the entire sedan rated at a 0.26 coefficient of drag – engineering speak for a design as windswept as many sports cars.
That, the maker says, is one reason why the various versions of what was once called the “Baby Benz” gets as much as 31% better fuel economy than the model it replaces, depending on the choice of powertrain.
The 2012 C-Class sedan alongside the new Mercedes wagon during a sneak peek on Sunday night.
And there will be a number of options for U.S. buyers, including the C250, with a twin-turbocharged four-cylinder package, the C300, with a 3.0-liter V6, and the C350 BlueTec, with its 305-horsepower 3.5-liter V6. All models, including the base four-cylinder packages, will be equipped with Mercedes’ 7-speed automatic gearbox.
The best-selling product in the compact luxury segment, Mercedes sold nearly 59,000 copies of the C-Class last year. But its success seemed anything but ordained when it was originally launched – as the Mercedes-Benz 190 – back in 1981. The idea of a compact luxury car seemed, back then, something of an oxymoron, though today Mercedes offers a number of smaller models, including the A- and B-Class.
The 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will deliver 10 new driver assistance systems, such as Blind Spot Detection and Lane Keep, not available on the outgoing sedan.
The basic shape is similar but there are plenty of changes in the 2012 C-Class IP, including an all-new COMAND system.
The 2012 model also will introduce an all-new version of the Mercedes COMAND system, a voice-controlled infotainment system. In an unusual move, this technology is first launching on the low end of the maker’s line-up and will eventually migrate up to top-line models like the CLS and Mercedes S-Class.
“That is another example of the democratization of high-tech,” suggested Daimler Board Member Thomas Weber.
But it also underscores the challenges luxury makers like Mercedes face. Digital technology is proving far easier to duplicate – and enhance – than the classic features that used to differentiate a luxury car from something more mainstream. In fact, some mainstream makers are today launching high-tech features ahead of their more upscale competition.
The maker showed off a sedan and wagon but other C-Class variants are in the works.
“Clearly the speed of bringing technologies (to market) is increasing,” acknowledged CEO Zetsche, “So we have to increase the pace of developing new technologies” that can position Mercedes ahead of mid-market brands.
Along with the new C-Class sedan Mercedes revealed a wagon offering likely to grab a major share of the market in Europe, where so-called “2-box” designs are especially popular. Additional variants of the 2012 C-Class will follow, including a convertible and an AMG model developed by Mercedes’ high-performance subsidiary.
The new 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class will have a relatively short life, according to a company official. A complete remake of the compact line-up will follow just three years after the facelifted model reaches showrooms.