Mercedes C 300 d T-Model: Electro diesel

The Swabian likes to stick to the tried and tested. Even more so when it comes to a bread and butter car, with which the most important car maker in the country earns a lot of money. Around 2.5 million drivers have opted for the current Mercedes C-Class since 2014. This makes the W205 series the most successful model in the mid-range series. One reason for the success at the counter is certainly the fact that the C-Class has meanwhile mutated into the Mini S-Class. This brings us back to the recipe for success that should also pull the money out of buyers’ pockets with the successor W206.

If you look at the new C-Class, with a length of 4.75 meters it is no longer a Mini S-Class. More like the little brother. Anyone who pulls out the folding rule will notice that the new Mercedes mid-range sedan has grown by six centimeters in this category, of which 2.5 centimeters are added to the wheelbase. Before we swing behind the steering wheel, we take a seat in the rear and are reassured that even claustrophobic contemporaries will have no reason to complain in the spacious back seat. In addition, there is a still acceptable trunk of 360 liters, if you fold the back seats, it becomes 1,375 liters. The drivers of the plug-in hybrid version benefit from the new luggage compartment and are happy about the fact that the loading floor is even with you and does not show any increase due to the battery.

The cockpit resembles that of the S-Class like one egg to the next. Fine materials, soft leather and, if desired, wood adorns the dashboard, which is used on noble yachts. However, there are differences in the arrangement of the furniture. The C-Class has a 12.3-inch virtual cockpit with the central 11.9-inch tablet touchscreen that is inclined six degrees towards the driver. A certain distance of respect must then still remain. That is why the C-Class does not get the cockpit with a 3D display, but only a similar representation and the virtual image that the head-up display projects about 4.5 meters in front of the bonnet is 29.5 inches in size still stately, but significantly smaller than the flagship.

When it comes to operating the infotainment, the similarities can also be seen, as the second generation of the MBux is now also finding its way into the little brother. Mercedes does without a distinctive smartphone look in the C-Class, but relies on the well-known MBux ambience and thus on an operating principle that relies on the touchscreen, the classic levers and buttons as well as voice control.

With the new C-Class, nothing works without electrification. Each model either has a plug-in hybrid module (from September) or is a mild hybrid as an addition to the drive train. We are sitting in the Mercedes C 300 d model, in which the 195 kW / 265 PS four-cylinder diesel engine is equipped with 48 volt hybridization and an integrated starter generator (ISG) that provides 15 kW / 20 PS and 200 Newton meters via boost to the propulsion. With its maximum torque of 550 Newton meters, the combustion engine copes well with the 1,835 kilogram station wagon. The extra electric PS help that the propulsion runs quite smoothly in conjunction with the in-house nine-speed automatic.

So the C-Class cracks the 100 km / h mark after 5.8 seconds and manages a maximum of 250 km / h. However, the diesel engine is by no means quiet and expressly speaks out as soon as the performance is to be called up quickly. There is enough power, but this Mercedes is not a proven puncher. It fits into the picture that the C-Class is set to be fairly comfortable, which is particularly noticeable in the comfort driving mode in a fairly decoupled body. Those who like it tighter can choose the two sporty driving modes: Then the dampers tighten without becoming uncomfortable and the electrically assisted rack-and-pinion power steering has more directness and higher restoring forces. The rear-axle steering helps with agility, with the tires turning up to an angle of 2.5 degrees. This also helps when maneuvering, after all, the wheelbase has grown to 2,865 millimeters.

Even with this technical trick, the C-Class will not become a real AMG, but you can be quite brisk with the station wagon. Especially in comparison to the C 200 sedan with the tired 150 kW / 204 PS gasoline engine, which we also drove, the diesel does well. He’s likely to remain the best friend of company car drivers, especially since two out of three C-Class models sold in Germany are station wagons. However, the C 300 d T model also has its price at 53,966.50 euros.