Mercedes-Benz has revealed Australian specifications and pricing for the 2019 C-Class range this week, the updated range officially goes on sale in September priced from $63,400 plus on-road costs.
You’ll need to have a good eye to spot the changes to the exterior. There is a new set of (optional on most variants) multibeam LED headlights that utilise 84 LEDs per headlight and four control units to calculate 100 times per second to determine the required lighting conditions. These lights feature an automatic high-beam function that’s clever enough to shield oncoming cars while illuminating up to 650 metres of road.
The most significant changes are found in the cabin, the C-Class now gets a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster that sits alongside a 10.25-inch infotainment screen. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are included as standard.
Thankfully, there’s a new steering wheel that includes cruise control and updated touch-sensitive buttons.
Powering the C200 is a new 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine which uses a 48-volt mild-hybrid system with a belt-driven starter/alternator.
Dubbed ‘EQ Boost’ the system can assist the 135kW engine with an additional 10kW of power until the turbocharger has built up its full charge pressure. It also features a gliding mode that shuts down the engine when the car is coasting. These eco-measures produce a combined fuel consumption figure of 6.4L/100 km.
C220d models also get a new engine for 2019, in this case, it’s a 2.0-litre turbo-diesel powertrain making 143kW and 400Nm – an additional 18kW of power over the outgoing unit. The new diesel is rated to use 4.7L/100km on a combined run.
The C300 range has been given a 10kW power bump meaning the 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine now develops 190kW and 370Nm. The extra power doesn’t translate to more speed, the 0-100km/h sprint time remains 5.9 seconds.
AMG models also get some extra power, the C43 gets an updated version of the 3.0-litre biturbo V6 engine which now produces 287kW (up 17kW) and 520Nm. It’s matched to a nine-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. Again, despite the extra grunt, the C43 is no faster taking 4.7 seconds to reach triple figures from a standstill.
The 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 is carried over in the C63 S, it has to make do with outputs of 375kW and 700Nm. The additional power in the S will allow the car to hit 100km/h in 3.9 seconds.
2019 Mercedes-Benz C-Class pricing (excludes on-road costs):
Sedan
C200 – $63,400
C220d – $64,900
C300 – $71,400
AMG C43 – $107,900
AMG C63 S – $159,900 (January 2019)
Estate
C200 – $65,900
C220d – $67,400
C300 – $73,900
AMG C43 – $110,400
AMG C63 S – $162,400 (January 2019)
Coupe
C200 – $67,900
C300 – $84,900
AMG C43 – $111,900
AMG C63 S – $164,900
Cabriolet
C200 – $88,400
C300 – $101,900
AMG C43 – $124,900
AMG C63 S – $182,900
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