The current Mercedes-Benz C-Class is a mid-term facelift of the W205, with a change in the shape of the front and rear lamps, a slight adjustment to the front and rear bumper, and a new powertrain, which is a mild hybrid model codenamed M264 with a 1.5T engine and a 48V EQ Boost system. Although the C-class has a coupe, convertible, standard axle, long axle and a touring version, it is difficult for imported models to compete with the domestic long-axle version in terms of price and space, and the volume is always the domestic long-axle version.
After the mid-term facelift, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class has a total of three powertrains, namely 1.6T (C180), 1.5T plus 48V mild hybrid (C260) and 2.0T (C300), all of which will be paired with Mercedes-Benz's 9G-Tronic 9-speed automatic transmission. After the emergence of the 1.5T mild hybrid model, the previous 2.0T low-power version (C200) was canceled, and the high-power version (C300) itself did not go out, and the 1.6T model was completely uncompetitive in the face of the 1.5T mild hybrid system, so the current main model of the C-class is the 1.5T mild hybrid.
The key components of the mild-hybrid system are the 48V battery and integrated starter motor (ISG), which integrates a motor between the engine and gearbox for starting and auxiliary power, providing an additional 14 hp in addition to starting the engine. In the daily use of this system, the most obvious effects are: first, because it is an integrated starting motor, the movement and static will be smaller than that of the driven starting motor when starting the car, and the automatic start-stop system is not so abrupt when starting; Second, this system can enter the coasting mode above 40km/h, turn off the engine, when the power demand is given, the motor will provide auxiliary power to help the engine quickly return to the working speed, Trumpchi GS8 also has a coasting mode, but every time the response to the speed will be slower, the advantage of the auxiliary motor is reflected; Third, because there is a motor to assist the output, so when waiting for the traffic light, the gearbox can be kept in 2nd gear, the motor first outputs the force when starting, and then the engine intervenes, although the front power will be softer, but the starting action will be smoother.
As for the power, although its tail mark is 260, but after all, it is a 1.5T engine, even if the maximum power output is adjusted to 184 horsepower, plus the 14 horsepower of the auxiliary motor, it takes 8.6 seconds to accelerate from 000, which is slower than the old 200, and the speed will be slower in daily driving.
Although the power is not strong, but after the mid-term facelift, the whole system is equipped with a 9G-Tronic gearbox, and the quality of gear shifting has been significantly improved compared with the previous 7G-Tronic, although the tuning is still not as good as BMW's ZF 8AT and Audi's S-Tronic, but at least there is no sense of difference in gear shifting, and there are no complaints about the smoothness, and then with the 48V system, the daily driving experience is generally satisfactory.
The suspension tuning of the facelifted C-class is also much better than that of the previous model, the chassis of the previous model will have a sense of contradiction, the bushing is relatively hard, but it is a little loose, and there will be an obvious sense of bouncing when pressing through the manhole cover, and after the facelift, it will be softer when passing through small potholes, and the integrity of the chassis is also much stronger, but the rear section is hard and lacks toughness.
The facelifted C-Class also has noticeable improvements in the interior, mainly with a multi-function steering wheel that is the same as the S-Class and E-Class, allowing you to control the Command system without taking your hands off the steering wheel. As for the center console, try to choose wood trim, because the piano lacquered version is not only easy to collect fingerprints, but also easy to leave scratches, compared to wood grain trim will be more worry-free. The Command system is still one of the more intuitive operations in luxury brands, and the size of the screen mainly depends on the model configuration, and if you want a large screen, you need to add a budget.
The long-axle version of the domestic does not need to worry about rear space, but because it is a rear-wheel drive model, the central platform is raised high, which is not suitable for long-distance rides. The facelifted C-Class lengthens the rear seat cushions, but the effect is not significant, compared to the spacious rear space, the seat cushions are still a little shorter, and the front half of the thighs lack sufficient support.
The reliability of the Mercedes-Benz C-class is in the middle of the class, the American "Consumer Reports" gives a score of 3 (out of 5) for the expected reliability, the reliability of the main and secondary parts of the engine is poor, and the reliability of the 2015 and 2018 models has received the worst evaluation, after the mid-term facelift, due to the addition of the 48V mild hybrid system, there have been several complaints about engine stalling, and the reliability needs to wait and see.
In terms of safety, the W205 generation of Mercedes-Benz C-class has been performing very well in IIHS, winning the TSP award of IIHS in 2016 and 2019, and the TSP award in 2017, and the five-star evaluation in E-NCAP and A-NCAP.
Mercedes-Benz C-Class evaluation report