2027 Mercedes-Benz C-Class electric review: Quick drive

There was a clip erstwhile the C-Class was Mercedes-Benz’s backbone successful Australia, wherever the mid-size luxury sedan was the German brand’s best-selling exemplary for galore years.

The C-Class sedan is inactive a important player, signaling 1950 Australian deliveries past year, but that tally placed it lone sixth successful the section Benz pecking order, down the likes of the mid-size GLC and tiny GLA SUVs, the A-Class compact hatch and sedan, the GLC Coupe and adjacent the GLE ample SUV.

The presumption quo could alteration somewhat adjacent twelvemonth arsenic the C-Class scope volition beryllium substantially bolstered by the summation of the all-new 2027 Mercedes-Benz C-Class electric (designated W520), arsenic good arsenic facelifted and upgraded versions of the existing petrol, diesel (in Europe) and plug-in-hybrid C-Class lineup.

The archetypal EV variant to spell connected merchantability volition beryllium the dual-motor C400 4Matic electric, with header stats that see a claimed 0-100km/h dash successful 4.0 seconds, and a WLTP scope of 762km connected a afloat charge.

The C-Class electrical scope volition beryllium fleshed retired implicit the people of 2027, with little costly C300 and C200 electrical variants pursuing successful the tyre tracks of the C400.

How overmuch does the Mercedes C-Class electrical cost?

Australian pricing for the Mercedes-Benz C400 4Matic electrical is yet to beryllium announced, but we’d expect it to commencement astir $105,000 earlier on-road costs erstwhile it goes connected merchantability present successful aboriginal 2027.

Its main absorption volition travel from BMW’s imminent i3 50 xDrive, which is besides owed to spell connected merchantability successful aboriginal 2027, priced from astir $100,000 earlier on-roads.

The C400 4Matic and i3 50 xDrive are intimately matched – astatine slightest connected insubstantial – arsenic the Bimmer ekes retired 345kW of powerfulness and 645Nm of torque, portion the Merc ups the ante to 360kW/800Nm. 

That said, the i3 50 xDrive has a useful borderline successful touring range, with a header WLTP fig successful excess of 900km – comfortably trumping the C400 4Matic's 762km figure.

The Merc is the bigger of the 2 cars dimensionally, arsenic it stretches 4883mm long, 1892mm wide and 1503mm tall, portion its wheelbase is simply a lengthy 2962mm. By comparison, the BMW measures 4760mm long, 1865mm wide and 1480mm gangly connected a 2897mm successful wheelbase.

Mercedes-Benz Australia spokesperson Jerry Stamoulis says the C-Class electrical volition play a cardinal relation for the brand, particularly arsenic section adoption of battery-powered vehicles has been increasing rapidly successful caller years.

“With the summation of electrical variants to the C-Class range, customers volition person adjacent greater prime to prime the powertrain that champion suits their manner and driving needs,” helium said.

“Our absorption is connected offering a wide portfolio that caters to a wide scope of lawsuit preferences, whether that’s petrol, plug-in hybrid oregon afloat electric.”

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What is the Mercedes C-Class electrical similar connected the inside?

The Mercedes C400 4Matic electrical merges classical plan flair with a barrage of ultra-futuristic tech, the focal constituent of which is the monolithic 39.1-inch Hyperscreen (optional) with 10 cardinal pixels that spans the afloat width of the dashboard.

The basal MBUX Superscreen mentation comes with 2 displays for the instrumentality clump and multimedia, with the rider show being optional.

You could walk weeks trawling done each the features and permutations connected connection via the idiosyncratic interface and inactive lone scratch the aboveground of what’s possible. For starters, nary less than 10 high-resolution ambient styles are disposable for some the MBUX Superscreen and the MBUX Hyperscreen. 

The MB.OS multimedia strategy is caller and uses Google services arsenic good arsenic artificial quality from ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Gemini. A plethora of third-party apps for audio and video streaming and gaming tin besides beryllium downloaded. 

Navigation is based connected Google Maps and is 1 of the archetypal systems to integrate Google Cloud’s caller Automotive AI Agent for in-vehicle conversational services.

Feature-packed though it whitethorn be, but the surface overload is simply a spot excessively overmuch to instrumentality in, and adjacent accessing immoderate of the basal functions tin beryllium tricky to bash connected the go. That said, the head-up show is superb, displaying navigation instructions and different captious info intelligibly successful the enactment of sight.

Physical switches person been astir wholly done distant with, but the caller multifunction steering instrumentality astatine slightest incorporates a measurement roller power arsenic good arsenic a rocker power for the limiter and Distronic adaptive cruise control. 

Cabin abstraction is ample, with the 2962mm wheelbase (97mm longer than the combustion-powered C-Class) liberating ample legroom for some front- and rear-seat dwellers. In addition, the modular panoramic extortion contributes to 22mm much headroom successful the beforehand and 11mm successful the rear.

The beforehand seats are superbly contoured to enactment the torso, but the rear seatbacks are excessively upright, truthful long-distance trips could beryllium tiresome for those consigned to the rear quarters.

There’s immoderate hard integrative trim successful the doorway panels, centre console and dashboard, but a faux-metal decorativeness (or open-pore-wood-mimicking trim) enables adjacent these bits to endow the compartment with a premium ambience. Overall, the afterburner-style aerial vents, talker grilles, doorway handles and spot accommodation switches make a pleasing aesthetic.

For the archetypal time, the talker grilles diagnostic a horizontal enactment signifier with a three-dimensional alleviation and a two-tone finish. In the Burmester 3D situation dependable system, these are made of stainless steel.

As per the GLC electric, the C-Class electrical offers the enactment of a vegan interior certified by The Vegan Society. The Vegan bundle includes each soft-touch aboveground materials – from the spot upholstery and the headliner to the pillars, doorway panels, and carpeting.

Also disposable arsenic an enactment are caller high-end seats with electrical adjustments and representation function, electro-pneumatic four-way lumbar support, full-back massage function, ventilation, and 4D sound.

The ample panoramic extortion creates an airy ambience wrong and – with the optional Sky Control – the solid aboveground tin beryllium switched betwixt transparent and opaque successful milliseconds. In addition, Sky Control tin show 162 digitised stars, illuminated successful the individually selected colour.

Day-to-day functionality is simply a C-Class electrical forte, arsenic the evenly contoured footwear has a capableness of 470 litres, supplemented by a beforehand footwear (frunk) that adds an further 101L of usable retention abstraction – perfect for a crate of 0.33L bottles, a carry-on trolley, oregon the charging cables.

Mercedes-Benz quotes a braked towing capableness of 1800kg with a semi-electric trailer coupling (optional), which is said to beryllium perfect for transporting a pitchy skis oregon glider. 

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What’s nether the bonnet?

The Mercedes C-Class electrical is underpinned by the aforesaid MB.EA architecture that forms the ground of the related GLC electrical that came earlier it, albeit with immoderate chassis tweaks to optimise its thrust and dynamics. 

The lone variant that volition beryllium offered initially is the C400 4Matic, which uses a 94kWh artillery battalion to powerfulness a brace of imperishable magnet synchronous electrical motors.

Taking a leafage retired of the Porsche Taycan’s book, the rear-axle electrical centrifugal sends thrust to the wheels via a two-speed transmission that operates truthful seamlessly that you can’t comprehend immoderate shifts from wrong the cabin. There’s besides a front-axle disconnect strategy that reduces vigor losses by a claimed 90 per cent nether debased loads.

The C400 4Matic is thing if not rapid, with brawny outputs of 360kW and 800Nm spearing the sedan from 0-100km/h successful a claimed 4.0 seconds – contempt the information it tips the scales astatine a hefty 2460kg.

More importantly for imaginable buyers, the C400 4Matic has a theoretical touring scope of up to 762km, according to the WLTP cycle, aided by super-slippery aerodynamics (with a resistance coefficient of conscionable 0.22Cd) and a 'one-box' braking strategy that generates up to 300kW of regenerative braking powerfulness and has a one-pedal thrust mode that's claimed to grip 99 per cent of driving.

Also noteworthy is the information the C-Class electric’s 800-volt electrical architecture enables a 330kW DC fast-charger to adhd 325km of scope successful 10 minutes. The electrical saloon is besides susceptible of bi-directional charging, turning it into a mobile vigor retention unit.

Mercedes-Benz claims the C-Class electrical is arsenic creaseless arsenic an S-Class connected agelong journeys, acknowledgment successful portion to optional Airmatic aerial suspension with predictive damping (based connected Car-to-X and Google Maps data) that irons retired lumpy roadworthy surfaces.

In addition, 4.5-degree rear-axle steering reduces the turning ellipse to 11.2 metres, boosting agility and manoeuvrability astatine little speeds, portion enhancing stableness astatine higher speeds.

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How does the Mercedes C-Class electrical drive?

Even EV sceptics would person to concede the Mercedes C400 4Matic electrical has impressively polished driving manners and that it’s a pleasant car to steer.

Sliding into the cabin, the MBUX interface comes to life, with the elaborate in-cabin lighting amusement instantly creating a welcoming ambience. A small flick into ‘D’ connected the column-mounted transmission stalk and you’re underway without further ado.

A virtually soundless drivetrain is simply a fixed successful an EV, but the C400 4Matic complements this with fantabulous suppression of some upwind and roadworthy noise. No uncertainty the car’s ultra-streamlined aerodynamics play a relation here, isolated from contributing to the C400’s generous touring range.

The archetypal car we drove astatine the motorboat was equipped with the optional Airmatic aerial suspension, which serves up superbly supple thrust quality, arsenic good arsenic amazingly crisp handling dynamics.

As mentioned earlier, the Airmatic suspension features predictive damping that uses Car-to-X exertion and Google Maps information to set for bumps successful the roadworthy earlier the conveyance reaches them. 

The strategy intelligibly works due to the fact that the C400’s thrust and refinement levels aren’t acold abbreviated of an S-Class limousine – it lopes and glides crossed lumpy surfaces without breaking a sweat.

Active ride-height power besides utilises representation information to support a debased thrust mounting connected freeways for improved ratio and range.

You wouldn’t expect a 2.5-tonne sedan to beryllium peculiarly agile, but the C400 4Matic surpasses expectations with a light-footedness successful Sport mode that makes it entertaining to hustle crossed winding backroads. The steering has a decent heft and directness to it, adjacent though it’s not overly endowed with feel.

As evidenced by its 4.0-second claimed 0-100km/h time, the C400 surely tin screen crushed precise quickly, and its gargantuan 800Nm torque output means you tin surge astir instantly from 40km/h to 120km/h and effortlessly merge with road postulation oregon dispatch a slow-moving car connected state roads.

Most of the cars astatine the planetary thrust motorboat successful Helsinki were equipped with the optional Airmatic suspension and rear-axle steering, but we managed to illustration a steel-sprung car which besides impressed with its deft ride/handling balance. For astir buyers, it volition bash conscionable fine.

Overall, our archetypal thrust impressions of the C400 4Matic were overwhelmingly positive, but we’ll beryllium capable to present a much broad verdict erstwhile we illustration the car connected section roads aboriginal adjacent year.

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What bash you get?

Standard instrumentality for Australian-bound C400 electrical is inactive to beryllium confirmed, but it's expected to see a coagulated quota of mod-cons. That said, it’s besides tenable to expect a lengthy options database that could rapidly inflate the car’s terms if you spell connected a box-ticking frenzy.

2027 Mercedes-Benz C-Class electrical instrumentality highlights (in Europe):

• 10.3-inch driver's display
• 14.0-inch cardinal touch-screen
• 14.0-inch passenger-side toiuch-screen
• Dual wireless telephone chargers
• MBUX navigation premium
• Apple CarPlay, Android Auto – wireless
• Bluetooth phone, audio
• Remote connectivity services
• Selfie and video camera
• Dynamic Select thrust modes – Eco, Comfort, Sport and Individual
• Remote footwear release
• Multi-function travel computer
• Heated beforehand seats
• Artico leatherette upholstery
• 4-way adjustable beforehand caput restraints
• 40:20:40-split/folding rear seatbacks
• Velour level mats
• Front centre armrest with stowage compartment
• Thermatic dual-zone automatic clime control
• Electro-pneumatic 4-way lumbar support
• Instrument sheet and beltlines successful Artico leatherette successful Nappa-look
• Ambient lighting with projection of marque logo
• Comfort seats with electrical adjustment
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Adaptive high-beam assist
• LED high-performance headlights – dusk-sensing
• LED daytime moving lights
• LED tail-lights
• Door sill panels with Mercedes-Benz lettering
• Heat and sound insulating acoustic glass
• Heat-insulating dark-tinted glass
• Mercedes-Benz ‘iconic grille’ with lit sheet successful metallic chrome

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Is the Mercedes C-Class electrical safe?

No autarkic clang trial results are arsenic yet disposable for the C400 4Matic electric, but it volition travel loaded with progressive and passive features, truthful we expect it to people highly successful ANCAP and Euro NCAP testing.

Standard information instrumentality includes:

• Adaptive cruise control
• Autonomous exigency braking
• Anti-lock braking strategy (ABS)
• Electronic stableness programme (ESP) 
• Escalating exigency halt function
• Emergency steering support
• Lane enactment system
• Collision prevention assist
• Traffic motion assist
• Direct steer speed-sensitive steering
• Active unsighted spot monitoring system
• Acoustic beingness indicator
• Extended postulation motion recognition
• Driver and beforehand rider airbags, driver's genu bag, centre airbag, broadside curtain airbags
• Front seatbelt pretensioners
• Front rider spot occupancy sensor
• Child-proof doorway locks
• Door unfastened warning
• Warning triangle and first-aid kit
• Tyre unit monitoring system
• Electric parking brake
• Active bonnet
• Front and rear seatbelt reminders
• Pre-Safe strategy for preventive occupant protection

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CarExpert’s instrumentality connected the Mercedes C-Class electric

There’s plentifulness to similar astir the Mercedes C400 4Matic – it’s comfortable, rapid, refined, and has a genuine prime consciousness wrong and out.

Other pluses see its generous 571L cargo capableness (if you harvester the footwear and frunk) and awesome touring scope – fig connected determination betwixt 550-600km successful real-world conditions. 

Styling is ever a subjective domain, truthful you tin marque up your ain minds arsenic to whether the C-Class electric’s somewhat amorphous illustration tickles your fancy.

The large chartless is however the C400 4Matic volition comparison to the BMW i3 50 xDrive, which is yet to beryllium launched to the media, fto unsocial onshore successful section BMW dealerships. We’re guessing the Bimmer volition thin much towards sporty dynamism, portion the Mercedes-Benz nails the little successful presumption of silky waftability. 

Regardless of however that head-to-head examination goes, there’s nary denying the C400 4Matic is simply a superbly well-rounded mid-size electrical sedan, and arguably Mercedes-Benz’s champion EV to date. 

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