2008 Mercedes Benz C Class

The new car breezes along on the freeway as you'd expect a well-engineered German sedan to do, its 3.5-liter V-6 (making 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque) and Mercedes's now-ubiquitous 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic working in harmony at 70-plus mph.

The slightly bigger cabin is quiet and comfortable. Multiple changes for the better inside include standard eight-way-adjustable seats, improved gauge work, and a Comand interface that folds neatly into the top of the dash when not in use, controlled by Benz's spinning knob on the center tunnel. Improved safety is always a big concern for the Daimler boys. Seven airbags come standard, and the optional Pre-Safe occupant-protection system is among the many new safety features available.


As the nav directs us off the main highway and toward the bends, it's time to make our final preparations. Hit sport button. Check. Change transmission to sport mode and locate paddle shifters atop new three-spoke steering wheel. Check. Apply sunglasses and look cool. Check.

The sport button activates what Mercedes calls Advanced Agility (an enhancement to the sport's standard Agility Control package), a system designed to firm up the 350 Sport's self-adjusting suspension dampers and optimize throttle response. In addition, a quicker steering ratio and speed-sensitive steering help improve the wheel feel. With the seven-speed in sport mode, more aggressive shifting also is available at our thumbtips.

Working the paddle shifters, we push the C-Class through sweeping lefts and rights in search of body roll. We're not finding much, thanks in part to sport shocks and springs and a beefed-up anti-roll bar added to essentially the same front-strut/five-link-rear layout that underpins the outgoing model. A switch to aluminum suspension links is new, and ride height has been lowered by a half inch. The adaptive brake system, adopted from the S-Class, takes many a stomping in stride. The sweet, AMG-sourced 18-inch rims on our tester, shod with 225/40ZR18s out front and 255/35ZR18s at the rear, never squeal for mercy.

For all the changes and upgrades to this C-Class, the 3.5-liter six, while a competent engine in most situations, is a carryover. The 350's mill proves wanting during parts of our mountain jaunt, especially with sport mode turned off. The Advanced Agility package and paddle shifters help, but there are times when we're searching for more power out of the corners, away from standstill, or during a rolling pedal stomp. With an estimated 0-to-60 time of 6.1 seconds, the 350 Sport is no slouch in its class, but our thoughts can't help but drift to the magnificent 300-horsepower, 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six in the new BMW 335i and wonder why the Benz's block wasn't at least put on the massage table. And there are no plans to offer a manual tranny for the 350, another head-scratcher.

Our drive ends in a wonderful medieval hillside town called Alcoy in Spain's Costa Blanca region. As we pull into the courtyard in the heart of la ciudad, some two dozen C-Klassen of all flavors are already neatly parked. Included are multiple diesel (none for the U.S. at present) and gas-powered variants. The cars wear two distinct mugs: the Avantgarde or Elegance front fascias, which will be called Sport and Luxury in the United States.


The car's exterior is slightly larger in all dimensions. The three-bar sport grille is highlighted by a Benz star disc you could almost use as a Frisbee and a mesh-look air intake. Luxury has the more traditional chrome multibar grille and the old-school hood ornament affixed. Gone on both versions are the circular light treatments and the sheetmetal that sloped over them for an angular approach. Two hard creases on the hood lead into each end of the grille. The flanks are cleaned up, and now one razor-sharp beltline runs just below the door handles. Out back, the vented taillights, developed during the car's extensive virtual prototype testing, move the air well enough that the designers decided against a spoiler. The looks aren't likely to make the Benz design hall of fame, but it's more contemporary and edgier.

Coming to the U.S. this August will be three versions for the 2008 model year: the 350 Sport and the 300 Sport and Luxury, which are powered by the automaker's 228-horse, 3.0-liter V-6. A six-speed manual will be standard for the 300 Sport, but the other models will come with the seven-speed auto. Versions with 4Matic AWD also will be offered, but only for the 300s. One bummer: The Advanced Agility package won't come our way until the following year. A V-8-powered AMG version is on the way and will be shown later in 2007.

With some 70 percent of the 50,000 or so C-Class models sold in the U.S. last year sport-themed, the emphasis was clearly focused there. But did Benz go far enough? We're not so sure, especially with BMW's 335i, the top-tier Audi A4 and Lexus's coming IS-F all poised to ambush the new car. The three-pointed star does have an undeniable allure, however, and with a car as improved as this, the new C should easily hold its own against its formidable sport-sedan competition.