Baby Benz Goes Upscale

Mercedes-Benz USA launches a bigger Baby Benz imbibing the Mercedes standards. And it comes at an aggressive price.

“The C-Class is a gateway to the Mercedes-Benz brand,” said Bernie Glaser, general manager, product management. “Priced at around $30,000, it brings new and younger buyers to our brand. It is also a stairway up into our brands, because some customers step up to the (midsize) E-Class, the CLS, potentially into the (flagship) S-Class,” he said.

The new Mercedes C-Class gets minor facelift for 2008 while the least-expensive 2007 model is discontinued. The new C-Class sedan has $31,975 as manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the C300 Sport model, with a standard six-speed manual transmission. The 2008 C300 Luxury model is $33,675, with a seven-speed automatic transmission. Both versions have a 228-hp 3.0-liter V6 engine.

A third model in the American Mercedes lineup is the 2008 C350 Sport, with a 268-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine, at $37,275. Sales of those three models start on August 7. All-wheel-drive 4Matic models will be available starting in September. A high-performance AMG model is expected to be added next year.

The 2008 C-Class is the third generation of the Mercedes entry-level car. In 1982, the automaker first launched the 190 Class, which was promptly called the “Baby Benz.” In 1993, the C-Class replaced the 190 Class, and the next generation C-Class generation debuted in 2000.

The latest C-Class is bigger than the model it replaces in nearly every dimension, including overall wheelbase, length, front and rear shoulder room, and trunk space. “This is a direct response to criticisms customers had about the old model; this is what customers told us they want,” Glaser said.

The 2008 C-Class is designed to rival the BMW 3 Series and the Lexus ES and IS models. With the 2008 model, Mercedes is also trying to make its “Sport” and “Luxury” C-Class models more distinct from each other. The company has offered two versions of the C-Class since the 2005 model year, but the divergence was less apparent.

The new C-Class Sport is equipped with enhanced Mercedes Benz muffler, slightly racier exterior styling, a metallic instrument panel and rubber-studded aluminum pedals, three-pointed Mercedes-Benz star in the grille, in place of the traditional, stand-up hood ornament. The seven-speed automatic transmission is optional, for $1,440. Mercedes-Benz aficionados know the “star in the grille” is usually exclusive to the company’s sporty coupes.

The Luxury models have the distinctive black instrument panel, a traditional hood ornament, burl walnut wood trim and an exclusive exterior color dubbed as “sand beige metallic.”

The 2008 C300 Luxury is actually $500 less than the 2007 C280 Luxury model, which has the same engine. The bad news is that Mercedes is dropping what could be called its “entry-level” model, the 2007 C230, once it is sold out. That means the least-expensive C-Class for 2008, the C300 Sport, costs $1,550 or 5.1 percent more than the least-expensive C-Class for 2007, the C230 Sport.

But according to Mercedes-Benz, if you added options to the 2007 model to match the standard equipment in the 2008 model, like a power sunroof, upgraded front seats, Bluetooth connectivity and dual-zone climate control, the bigger and more powerful 2008 model would actually cost less than the comparably equipped 2007 model.

A $2,700 option package includes navigation, plus a 450-watt Harman/Kardon system with 12 speakers. The upgraded system can save music from a CD onto a hard drive. It also can play tracks stored on a data CD, DVD or memory card.

“We have raised the bar for the fourth time for ourselves, and for the competition,” Glaser concluded.