Lite Mercedes C-Class Facelift

[cawimmer430]

Biggest change are the LED's in the lower front bumper. Looks great. 

[Colonel Cadillac]

Looks like Audi started quite the cool trend.

[sportyaccordy]

Looks like Audi started quite the cool trend.

Yep.... I'm already seeing it being done to Hondas

[Xer0]

I like it.  Any powertrain changes?

[CALL_911]

Eh, I'm not a fan of the new LED treatments on MBs. That angular LED thing on the E-class looks cheap and tacky, as does this. They look good on the S, however.

I also can't stand the 4-foglight business. It looks like utter shit.

[SVT666]

Looks good.  Looks like they fixed the hood cutline.

[Cookie Monster]

Looks good.  Looks like they fixed the hood cutline.

It still looks pronounced on the wagon.

Maybe it's just the color and the lighting.

[the Teuton]

Yeah, the hood closes only on the sedan models.

[cawimmer430]

I like it.  Any powertrain changes?

None yet. Those are reserved for the major facelift.

Rumors of a 300-horsepower+ direct injection V6 are there too. Will probably replaced the C350.

[Submariner]

None yet. Those are reserved for the major facelift.

Rumors of a 300-horsepower+ direct injection V6 are there too. Will probably replaced the C350.

I thought MB already had one of those.

[CALL_911]

Looks like Audi started quite the cool trend.

Never!

MB invented LEDs in the 1800s and put it on the Patent Motorwagen in 1886. They just didn't want people to know.

MB never copies! Nevar!

[ifcar]

Never!

MB invented LEDs in the 1800s and put it on the Patent Motorwagen in 1886. They just didn't want people to know.

MB never copies! Nevar!

Hey, don't you start trolling too. That would quickly get as old as "Toyota never breaks" from you-know-who.

[CALL_911]

Hey, don't you start trolling too. That would quickly get as old as "Toyota never breaks" from you-know-who.

I had to do it once. It was out of necessity.

[Xer0]

None yet. Those are reserved for the major facelift.

Rumors of a 300-horsepower+ direct injection V6 are there too. Will probably replaced the C350.

The GCI engine in the SLK and E-class?  I never understood why that didn't come over here in our E-class but good to hear that it might make over in the C even if it really doesnt need it.  I'm more curious on a lower end engine, maybe a turbo 4 ala A4 making decent power and being billed as a more sporting alternative.

[cawimmer430]

I thought MB already had one of those.

Not for the C-Class. It is available in the CLS and E-Class at the moment and it makes 292-hp. In the SLK and SL the 3.5 V6 makes over 300-hp but isn't offered with direct injection.

[CALL_911]

The MB 3.5L V6 sounds awesome at WOT.

I'd love to try this 300 hp version.

[Rupert]

Looks like Audi started quite the cool trend.

I thought you meant giant ugly grills for a second there...

[cawimmer430]

The GCI engine in the SLK and E-class?  I never understood why that didn't come over here in our E-class but good to hear that it might make over in the C even if it really doesnt need it.  I'm more curious on a lower end engine, maybe a turbo 4 ala A4 making decent power and being billed as a more sporting alternative.

CGI.

I have no explanation as to why MB doesn't offer it in the US. Realistically speaking the current E350 with 272-hp is completely adequate from a performance point of view.

The smaller supercharged gasoline engines in the C-Class (C180 Kompressor and C200 Kompressor) are being phased out in favor of a new turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that is currently in development. According to AMS the next-generation C200 Kompressor will potentially have a 200-hp 1.8-l turbo engine. Sounds good.

[TBR]

Sad thing is that even with the power upgrade Mercedes will still be behind all of its similarly priced V6 competitors from a performance POV.

[TBR]

Also, I am not certain that the car would look better with a smaller hood gap. Looking at it in profile, the cut line does a lot to make the nose shorter (vertically) than it actually is. If they would just change the headlights and get rid of that weird tinting over the top portion of the light it would look much better.

[Submariner]

Sad thing is that even with the power upgrade Mercedes will still be behind all of its similarly priced V6 competitors from a performance POV.

The 268HP C-class does 0-60 in 5.6 seconds...I'm not sure it needs to be faster.

[TBR]

The 268HP C-class does 0-60 in 5.6 seconds...I'm not sure it needs to be faster.

The competition is faster.

Car and Driver, 0-60

C350: 6 seconds
G37: 5.4
335i: 4.9
S4: 4.9

[Pommes-T]

The competition is faster.

Car and Driver, 0-60

C350: 6 seconds
G37: 5.4
335i: 4.9
S4: 4.9

Wimmer's gonna reply in 4,3,2,1....

[ifcar]

The competition is faster.

Car and Driver, 0-60

C350: 6 seconds
G37: 5.4
335i: 4.9
S4: 4.9

Even I would agree that there gets to be a point where it's fast enough and any more offers nothing to the consumer. It would be like if a car had come out with a roomier rear seat than the massive Ford Five Hundred -- it wouldn't mean that the Five Hundred would need to grow, as that growth wouldn't really provide any significant additional value.

That's not to say that I normally support "it's good enough" for a luxury-priced automobile. But in this particular case, 0-60 in six seconds is just dandy.

[cawimmer430]

The competition is faster.

Car and Driver, 0-60

C350: 6 seconds
G37: 5.4
335i: 4.9
S4: 4.9

SO?

Are you implying people buy these cars purely based on 0-60 times?   

[Submariner]

The competition is faster.

Car and Driver, 0-60

C350: 6 seconds
G37: 5.4
335i: 4.9
S4: 4.9

The XJ does 0-60 in 5.9/6 seconds.  It's more than quick enough.

[Xer0]

Yeah, I never thought this current C-class was wanting for power really.  And besides, you can always point to AMG as having the most in class anyway so its really a moot point.

Doing some look up, a C350CGI will be available in the States sometimes soon with ~290 hp and better fuel economy.  I'm anxious to see what its like now.

[TBR]

SO?

Are you implying people buy these cars purely based on 0-60 times?   

I am saying people spend thousands more for the up-option engine because they want to go faster.

[CALL_911]

SO?

Are you implying people buy these cars purely based on 0-60 times?    

He's implying that people want to buy the bigger engine because they usually do want to go faster.

EDIT: I see TBR beat me to it.

[TBR]

The XJ does 0-60 in 5.9/6 seconds.  It's more than quick enough.

Not if the competition is significantly faster. These cars aren't sold in a vacuum you know. They have to be compared to the competition and the C350 falls short in the performance aspect (and others as well). The C350 is slower than the 328i and closer to the A4 2.0T than the S4.